Parliament, Tuesday, 22 September 2026 – The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, Dr Mmusi Maimane, has said the committee will be taking a proactive role in examining government funding to address gender-based violence (GBV).
This follows the tragic recent discovery of the bodies of nine women in Kempton Park and other parts of Ekurhuleni in Gauteng.
Dr Maimane said the committee will formally invite the Minister of Social Development and engage with the Minister of Police on the plans and funding available to address GBV. “We will examine whether sufficient funding has been allocated to respond effectively to gender-based violence. We will invite the Minister of Social Development to appear before the committee and engage the Minister of Police on the planning and funding required to deal with this crisis,” said Dr Maimane.
Dr Maimane acknowledged that, despite a police budget of approximately R127 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, the police-to-population ratio remains a concern, with one officer for every 427 residents. He said the police must assure the public that effective preventive measures are being implemented to curb GBV. Dr Maimane said South Africa must begin to realise tangible results from the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, adopted in 2020, particularly in preventing GBV, strengthening the criminal justice system’s response and providing support, care and healing to survivors.
He said the committee’s intervention was particularly important following the President’s declaration of gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster. “We need to bring the relevant departments before the committee to determine whether adequate resources have been made available and whether those resources are being used effectively,” he said.
Dr Maimane stressed that sufficient funding is needed to prevent violence against women through visible policing and that tackling gender-based violence requires more than public statements. “Government must provide adequate resources for prevention, policing, victim support, prosecution and effective community-based programmes,” he said.
Dr Maimane concluded by conveying the committee’s heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones. He said the committee would also write to the relevant National Assembly committees to ensure that gender-based violence and its funding requirements remain firmly on Parliament’s agenda.
“Ultimately, the committee seeks to establish a clear way forward that ensures funding follows function and strengthens accountability,” he said.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, DR MMUSI MAIMANE.
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