Sonke Gender Justice demands accountability for law enforcement officials’ brutality towards civilians
Johannesburg, 04 July 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice is gravely concerned by the rampant use and abuse of guns by South African law enforcement officials. This follows the surfacing of a video of the South African Police Service’s VIP Protection Unit assaulting motorists while brandishing guns on a Johannesburg highway. In another recent incident, a […]
Rape-accused ANC councilor earning a salary while imprisoned is unacceptable
30 June 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice is outraged to learn that rape accused ANC councillor Tebogo Sepale continues to earn a salary as a ward councillor in the Matlosana local municipality while imprisoned. Sepale faces 11 provisional charges, two for statutory rape, three for the violation of a child’s consent, one for manufacturing pornographic […]
Sonke Gender Justice welcomes the conviction of footballer Thembinkosi Lorch
09 June 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice welcomes the judgement against Orlando Pirates soccer star Thembinkosi Lorch, who has been found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend Fundiswa Mathithibala in 2020, by the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg. In January 2021 the assault case against the football player was provisionally withdrawn by the magistrate’s court, as […]
The increase in murder cases of women and children in South Africa alarming
02 June 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice is concerned about the reported increase in murder cases of women and children in South Africa, as Police Minister Bheki Cele released the statistics for crimes recorded between January and March 2023 earlier this week. More than nine hundred women are reported to have been killed, while just […]
Sonke Gender Justice welcomes the conviction of Gerhard Ackerman
Johannesburg, 28 April 2023 – Sonke welcomes the conviction of child sex abuse ring kingpin Gerhard Ackerman for the crimes he committed. The Gauteng High Court found Ackerman guilty of multiple charges linked to a child sex abuse ring that he masterminded. Ackerman targeted vulnerable teenage boys between the ages of 14 and 16, recruiting […]
MenEngage Africa Alliance Symposium 2023 – call for abstracts
The Men Engage Africa Alliance (MEA) will be holding its 3rd Symposium from 14 to 16 August 2023. The symposium will be bringing over 200 participants including MEA members, civil society organizations, government agencies, strategic partners, private, academia and UN agencies, for a three-day symposium under the theme “Accountability and Transformation through gender-equitable evidence-based programming.” […]
A call for the African Union Commission to urgently intervene in Sudan conflict
Johannesburg, 26 April 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice is deeply saddened by the current political conflict in Sudan. Fighting between the country’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted early this month in North Darfur, following months of tensions over a power-sharing deal, amid an attempted transition to democracy after a military […]
A spotlight on intimate partner violence
Sonke Gender Justice in collaboration with Mosaic Training, Service & Healing Centre (Mosaic) hosted a two-day national stakeholder dialogue themed “From Policy to Accountability: Challenges and Opportunities in Addressing Intimate Partner Violence in South Africa” from the 20th to the 21st of April in Johannesburg. The forum brought together participants from various civil society organisations […]
Sonke Gender Justice laments South Africa’s failing justice system
Johannesburg, 14 April 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice condemns what it calls a woeful South African justice system. This comes as charges against the four men accused of killing Hillary Gardee have been provisionally withdrawn due to the unavailability of state witnesses. Gardee, who is the daughter of former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee, was found […]
Gender-based violence is a pervasive problem that continues to plague our society
On Tuesday, March 21, 2023, South Africa observed Human Rights Day. Human Rights Day is an affirmation by ordinary people, who rise in unison to proclaim their rights while also drawing attention to issues that South Africans continue to face which undermine these rights. Unfortunately, South Africa has a long history of violence against women, […]
Sonke Gender Justice is outraged and condemns the act of the South African police officer for coercing her son to have sex with her
We call for the South African Police Service (SAPS) to take definitive action. A young boy from Limpopo was coerced into having sex with his police officer mom. The horrific accident was filmed and circulated on social media recently. The boy has been sent to a place of safety and is undergoing counseling. According to the […]
Sonke Gender Justice calls for prioritisation of the safety of sex workers
Sonke Gender Justice is deeply saddened and outraged at the killings of six sex workers last weekend in central Johannesburg. The six decomposing bodies were discovered inside a panel beater’s shop by a security guard, after he noticed a strange smell coming from the building. The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, made a commitment […]
Sonke Gender Justice extends condolences to the family of Zenizole Vena, who died at the age of 15, and demands accountability
Sonke Gender Justice extends its heartfelt condolences to Zenizole Vena’s family and friends. We are deeply disturbed to learn of the death of yet another young person as a result of violence and the negligence of state institutions. According to reports, Vena died in the arms of Sindiswa Ntantiso inside the Motherwell police station’s community […]
Sonke Gender Justice calls for justice for the death of Mahsa Amini
Ms Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman died in the hands of morality police last week. She was visiting the Iranian capital with her family when she was detained on Tuesday by the morality police because she was not wearing “improper” headscarf in public. The police unit is responsible for enforcing the Islamic republic’s strict dress […]
Sonke Gender Justice condemns the inappropriate statements made by Minister of Police Bheki Cele and Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen over the past week
Steenhuisen referred to his ex-wife as “roadkill” on MacG’s podcast. When MacG posed the question, “what is roadkill?” and he answered, “sounds a lot like my ex-wife.” Furthermore, in response to the #CeleMustGo billboard, Bheki Cele said if the DA was serious about gender-based violence, they could have dealt with Steenhuisen because he abused a woman […]
Sonke Gender Justice appalled to learn about the alleged sexually harassment allegations levelled against Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana
Enock Godongwana is the latest prominent political figure to face sexual misconduct allegations. The minister allegedly sexually abused a massage therapist at Kruger National Park, according to reports. Sonke Gender Justice is outraged by allegations of sexual harassment allegedly committed by South Africa’s Finance Minister, Enock Godongwana. The allegations are incredibly disheartening and should be […]
Sonke Gender Justice strongly condemns the threats directed towards the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI)
It is disheartening to note that SERI, a public interest law firm has been forced to temporarily close its doors following threats that began on Wednesday to injure their employees and burn down their offices. This is after SERI settled a case against the removal of informal traders from the De Villiers precinct in the […]
Keep the promise and decriminalise sex work
In 2016, acting in his capacity as Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa launched the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) ‘National Sex Work Sector Plan 2016-2019’ and presented the leader of the Sex Work Sector, Ms Kholi Buthelezi, with a sunflower as a symbol of his solidarity to decriminalise sex work. Since then, the Asijiki Coalition […]
Sonke Gender Justice calls on the leadership of the SAPS to take responsibility for the incompetence of its members at the Madeira police station in Stutterheim
South Africa watched with horror the level of incompetence demonstrated by police on a GBV related matter caught on camera in Stutterheim. Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke) is disappointed by the insensitivity and incompetence of the South African Police Services (SAPS) showed in a video clip in the public domain. On the 25th of May 2022, […]
Sonke sends its heartfelt condolences to Namhla Mtwa’s family and calls for justice
Sonke Gender Justice extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Singa Namhla Ntwa, a young woman from the Eastern Cape who was shot dead on 21 April 2022. Namhla Mtwa, 34, was shot nine times in her car as she entered her home in Sidwada, in Mthata in the Eastern Cape. No […]
Tackling a global crisis at grassroots level
Communities are the bedrock of society, they hold the power to influence a change to the status quo as it relates to violent and unjust treatment of women, girls, differently abled persons and members of the lgbtqi+ community. Until we empower, educate and seek to redress the gender stereotypes within our communities, we will not […]
Sonke Gender Justice extends its condolences to the family of Hillary Gardee, who was found dead in Mpumalanga
Sonke Gender Justice is saddened to learn about the passing of Hillary Gardee, 28, daughter of former EFF secretary-general and lawyer Godrich Gardee, who disappeared four days ago. We extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the Gardee family, the Gardee circle of relatives, and all those who knew Hillary. “Information is still coming in, […]
Sonke Gender Justice congratulates Yolanda Dyantyi on winning her case against Rhodes University
Sonke Gender Justice congratulates Yolanda Dyantyi and Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI-rights) on winning their case against Rhodes University on the expulsion of Ms. Dyantyi from the university. The Supreme Court of Appeal has set aside the guilty judgement by Rhodes University with costs. It has been a long five years for Yolanda […]
Sonke Gender Justice and MOSAIC Training host multi-stakeholder dialogue
In commemoration of the International Women’s Day, Sonke Gender Justice and MOSAIC Training, Service & Healing Centre (MOSAIC) hosted a multi-stakeholder dialogue under the theme; ‘From Policy to Accountability: Challenges and Opportunities in addressing Intimate Partner Violence’. The dialogue took place at Capital Melrose, Melrose North, Johannesburg on 08 March 2022. The dialogue explored state and […]
