Note to Editors: Please see below an extract from a speech by DA Enoch Mgijima Constituency Leader Chantel King MPL, delivered during a Women’s Day protest in Komani. She was joined by DA EC Shadow MEC for Social Development, Marlene Ewers MPL, DA Women’s Network (DAWN) Deputy EC Provincial Chairperson, Aviral von Buchenroder, and DAWN EC Provincial EXCO member, Cllr Amor Hendricks.
[Download soundbite here and pictures here, here, here, here, here and here.]
Every year, during Women’s Month, we come together to celebrate the strength, resilience, and achievements of women across our country, but also to confront the painful realities faced by too many women and girls in the Eastern Cape.
How can we celebrate when the Eastern Cape has the highest rape rate in South Africa, with a ratio of 24.7 per 100,000 and gender-based violence (GBV) is running rampant?
Today, we gather in Komani where rape and domestic violence are spiralling out of control and women and girls find themselves in a state of emergency and living in constant fear.
From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, 158 rape cases were reported across Komani’s Ezibeleni, Komani, and Mlungisi police stations. That is one rape every two days.
These shocking statistics are not just mere numbers, they are an indication of women, girls, families and communities shattered by gender-based violence.
The Komani police are severely hamstrung by critical staff shortages, an aging workforce, and a shortage of operational vehicles. This crisis is further exacerbated by rampant alcohol abuse in the community and local taverns serving alcohol to minors, which compounds the challenges faced by law enforcement.
Alcohol abuse, especially among the youth, has been identified as a major contributor to GBV in Komani. We cannot ignore the link between substance abuse and the violence in our homes and streets.
Additionally, many areas in Komani are left in perpetual darkness due to the inability of the Enoch Mgijima Municipality to fix broken and failing street lights.
In the face of these challenges the DA will be stepping in to do all we can to protect the women and girls of Komani against GBV.
We will be standing with the police to create community awareness regarding alcohol abuse and its role in fuelling gender-based violence.
We will take the challenges faced by the police in Komani to the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature and the Eastern Cape Provincial Police Commissioner. The memorandum we submitted today demanding urgent intervention by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Eastern Cape is the first step to ensuring a safer environment for the women and girls of Komani.
Women and girls who are victims of GBV require sustained government support, beyond token gestures on Women’s Day. It is time for meaningful and systemic change.
Enough is enough!
The DA will not forsake the vulnerable members of our society. We will continue our fight against GBV for the safety and protection of our communities.