GBV killings surge during 16 days campaign

South Africa’s annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children is once again unfolding against a backdrop of brutal killings, with a series of horrific incidents in recent days highlighting the country’s ongoing struggle to curb gender-based violence and violent crime. Despite national campaigns, marches and awareness drives, women and children continue to be victims of extreme violence in homes, on the streets and in public spaces.

In the Free State, Ficksburg police have arrested a 32-year-old man from Meqheleng for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, 24-year-old Nomsa Kotope. The suspect is accused of killing her at her rental room in Zone 2 after reportedly accusing her of infidelity.

Police were alerted on Sunday, 6 December, when the suspect’s ex-girlfriend arrived at the station to report a possible murder. Officers responded and found Kotope lying on the floor inside her rented room. Emergency Medical Services declared her dead at the scene. The suspect was arrested shortly afterwards and is expected to appear at the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a charge of murder.

The killing occurred during a weekend already marked by tragedy elsewhere in the country. In Saulsville, west of Pretoria, three children were among the 12 people shot dead when gunmen opened fire at an illegal tavern inside a hostel. Fourteen others were injured. While the motive is being investigated, the deaths of the minors have added to growing public grief about children increasingly becoming casualties of violent crime.

In the Western Cape, retired Bloemfontein teacher Karin van Aardt, 64, was stabbed to death during a smash-and-grab attack shortly after landing in Cape Town on Friday. Van Aardt and her husband were travelling from the airport to Vredenburg for their granddaughter’s eighth birthday when attackers broke the passenger window at a notorious hotspot near Jakes Gerwel Drive in Bonteheuwel. The assailants attempted to snatch her handbag and stabbed her multiple times in the chest. She died before reaching a nearby hospital. The attack has triggered renewed calls for urgent interventions along high-risk routes used by visitors and locals.

The pattern of violence against women was also evident in Johannesburg, where 27-year-old Noxolo “Momo” Masinga was allegedly shot dead by her ex-boyfriend in Lawley last month. She was reportedly shot in the head outside her home in front of her young son. The same suspect allegedly attempted to kill another ex-girlfriend later that day. He remains at large.

More tragedy struck last month in Centurion when eight-year-old Amé Mia Green was shot and killed by her father, Warren Green, during a custody dispute. Green allegedly murdered his daughter before turning the gun on himself.

According to crime statistics released last week, 64 people are killed daily in South Africa, with a significant proportion being women.

As the 16-day campaign continues, these cases underscore the persistent and devastating toll of gender-based violence, prompting fresh calls for decisive action, stronger policing, and better protection for women and children who remain at the mercy of violent offenders.