Mpumalanga currently has only two state-run shelters for victims of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), despite rising levels of reported abuse across the province.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised concern over the shortage of safe spaces, citing crime statistics that show 900 GBV cases reported between January and March.

The party says the scale of violence requires expanded support infrastructure and has proposed that each of the province’s 17 local municipalities have at least one state-run shelter.

Violence in the province includes severe assaults and murders, with incidents such as a woman from Carolina being set alight by her partner and later dying from her injuries, and another case where a woman had her hand chopped off with a panga.

Crime statistics also show Vosman and Piet Retief police stations among the top 30 in South Africa for sexual offences, while Piet Retief and Ermelo appear in the top 30 for rape cases.

The DA also notes a 5.5% decrease in gender-based assault cases in the fourth quarter of 2025/26, while rape increased by 5.7%. Officials stress that underreporting may mean the real scale is higher.

Read the complete article in Highvelder’s printed edition.