# Minister of Social Development, Dina Pule, has called on South Africans to speak out against gender-based violence and femicide, and not wait to report abuse before it escalates into tragedy. Nearly half of all rapes reported in South Africa during the fourth quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year took place in the homes of either the victim or the perpetrator, highlighting the persistent threat of gender-based violence behind closed doors. Pule says despite constitutional protections and a range of government interventions, GBVF remains among South Africa’s most pressing social challenges.
Minister Pule urges South Africans to break the silence on GBVF