By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider 

Over the past two weeks there has been a major purple storm swirling across the nation of South Africa. This storm is very persistent, very courageous, honest and angry. The storm of South Africans who are tired of losing its women, children and members of the LGBTQI+ community at the hands of ruthless men and a call for the government to hear their cries. 

The WomenforChange organization for the past few years have been advocating that the government declare Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) a national disaster, a plea that the South African government has devastatingly ignored.

Statistics have confirmed GBV poses a threat to public health and the national economy and demands urgent interventions. More than half of women in South Africa have experienced GBVF and according to a recent study made by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) a national study found that 33.1% of all women aged 18 years and older have experienced physical violence which translates to  an estimate of 7,310,389 women.

9,9% of women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime which has affected an estimate of 2,150,342 women, and overall more than 35% of women over 18 have experienced sexualand physical violence. Femicide rates are five times the global average. 

South Africa ranks as the fourth highest interpersonal violence death rate out of 183 countries, a list made by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016. Between April 2023 and March 2024; 5,578 women have been murdered as femicide rates have risen by 33.8% compared to the previous year.

From April 2023-March 2024, 42,569 rape cases were reported however, 95% of rape cases go unreported. A woman in South Africa is murdered every three hours. Between the period of 2023-2024, 1,656 children were killed. 

In an effort to make the government respond to this gruelling tragedy which has ravaged the nation, the WomenforChange organization has put together a protest on the eve of the G20 Leader’s summit, titled the “G20 National Shutdown”, in which all women, children and members of the LGBTQ+ community are withdrawing from the economy and congregating for at various spots around the country to lay in solidarity with all the women and children who have lost their lives to GBVF, as will partake in a “lay down” for 15 minutes to show their solidarity and to memorialize these innocent lives. 

The meeting points include: 

*Seapoint Promenade (Cape Town)

*Stellenbosch University (Rooiplein)

*Botanical Gardens,Randburg (JHB)

*Constitutional Hill (JHB)

*Aula Lawn, University of Pretoria (Pretoria)

*Union Buildings Lawn (Pretoria)

*North Beach (Durban)

*South Beach (Durban)

*Eastern Beach (East London)

*Summerstand Beach (Gqeberha)

*Sol Plaatje University (Kimberly)

*North West University “Potch Park at the Bult Area” (Potchefstroom)

*University of Limpopo Sports Ground (Limpopo)

*University of Free State “Main Campus” (Bloemfontein)

*Riverside Government Boulevard (Nelspruit)

The G20 National Shutdown will commence on 21 November 2025, and the silent lie down will commence from 12 pm nationwide, meeting time will be from 11:30.