Overview
- President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration follows the NDMC’s reversal, placing primary coordination of the GBVF response under the national executive via the Disaster Management Act.
- CoGTA’s Velenkosini Hlabisa says intergovernmental structures are being activated, with feedback on available resources and plans due by the end of the week.
- Named coordination bodies include an Inter-Ministerial Committee, a NATJOINTS GBVF Priority Committee, and provincial and local joint structures to drive a multisectoral response.
- Civil-society groups, buoyed by a nationwide silent shutdown and the start of 16 Days of Activism, demand a concrete plan, transparent audits of funding, and attention to root causes such as poverty and unemployment.
- Experts question the practical impact of the classification since it does not invoke emergency powers, while advocates stress protection for frontline responders and note new provincial measures like Eastern Cape rapid-response teams.