Alexandra residents march against GBV after bodies of 10 women found

A community demonstration in Alexandra highlights growing safety fears among women following a rise in violent crime and sexual assaults.

11 hours ago

Itumeleng Maloka 2 minutes read

Alexandra residents, under the Greater Alexandra Block by Block, march to raise awareness about gender-based violence and femicide. Photo: Itumeleng Maloka

Alexandra residents marched through the streets with burning candles to raise awareness about gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, an issue that has left many women in the community fearing for their lives.

Greater Alexandra Block by Block secretary Khensani Tshabalala led the march to honour women whose lives were lost to GBV, underscoring how women do not feel safe even in their own homes.

The demonstration followed the recent discovery of a tenth woman’s body in Gauteng, which Tshabalala said has heightened safety concerns.

“That is what eats us all. We are asking ourselves as women, ‘Who is next? Is it me? Am I safe in my own house? Am I safe when I leave my house, and what must I do to protect myself?'” she asked.

Tshabalala said routine activities, such as taking a taxi, now cause anxiety when vehicles are mostly occupied by male passengers. “We are even afraid on behalf of our children. When you get into a taxi, you ask yourself, ‘Am I safe in this taxi?'”

A demonstration of mourning and resistance

Community members used the gathering to mourn the 10 women whose bodies were found in the province and to call on the wider public to respond to GBV with urgency.

In November last year, former head of the National Disaster Management Centre Dr Elias Sithole declared GBV and femicide a national disaster, urging state organs to strengthen support structures.

President Cyril Ramaphosa also described GBV as a “second pandemic” that causes instability, fear, and intergenerational trauma among women and girls. He added that the national disaster status mandates departments, including social development, justice, health, and police, to intensify their response.

Despite these measures, residents said they feel unprotected and called for greater female unity. “Women should remain united, and men should not see women as objects,” Tshabalala said.

Greater Alexandra Block by Block unites residents against gender-based violence and femicide. Photo: Itumeleng Maloka

Men also took part in the demonstration. Lebogang Phiri said men must join the stand against GBV rather than remain silent.

“It cannot only be that it is only women who are standing up against GBV, and men do not support them. If we do not support women, it will be as if we are supporting the perpetrators,” he said.

“There are men who are against abuse. As men, we are not all monsters; some of us are. We are fathers, lovers, caretakers, and in the community, we are community leaders,” he added.

Also read: Men call for recognition in GBV fight

Alexandra numbers behind the fear

Alexandra Police Station Commander Brigadier Vusimuzi Ngubane confirmed that at least eight common assault cases were recorded during the first week of September, and he linked many to domestic violence, although he did not confirm their exact number.

Crime figures for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year show that Alexandra recorded 11 counts of sexual assault. The local station also recorded 41 counts of rape, an increase of five rape cases compared to the same period in the previous year.

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