The recent and tragic murder of Olorato Mongale is yet another painful reminder that South Africa’s response to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) is still falling short. As highlighted in a recent article by the Mail & Guardian, government’s GBVF plan continues to suffer from chronic underfunding, with billions being channelled into addressing symptoms rather than tackling the root causes of this national crisis.

At Khulisa Social Solutions, we believe there will never be “enough funding” to resolve GBVF if investment continues to flow into fragmented, siloed interventions that ignore the deep systemic and intergenerational drivers of violence. Our experience working in some of South Africa’s most marginalised communities has revealed that issues such as ineffective service delivery, lack of inter-agency collaboration, untreated trauma, substance abuse, youth alienation, and the erosion of social cohesion directly fuel the rise in GBVF.

Findings from our 2024 dialogue circles, conducted in Rustenburg, Wedela, and parts of Limpopo using the Systemic Insight Therapy (SIT) approach, found that over 70% of community participants identified unresolved childhood trauma, toxic masculinity exacerbated by unemployment and substance abuse, and the normalisation of violence in homes and schools as the primary triggers of violence against women. Unfortunately, these underlying factors remain largely unaddressed in the current National Strategic Plan (NSP).

SIT, developed by internationally renowned psychologist Dr. Arnon Rolnick, is a trauma-informed methodology utilising narrative therapy and systems thinking to uncover the hidden drivers behind personal and social dysfunction. Khulisa has successfully integrated SIT into its community engagement model to gain deeper insights into, and address, the root causes of violence and exclusion.

Through SIT, survivors, perpetrators, and community witnesses are empowered to share their lived experiences in safe, facilitated dialogue circles. These grassroots voices not only highlight what is wrong—they also illuminate pathways for meaningful change.

We urgently call on the government and all stakeholders to adopt a truly multi-sectoral, community-led approach to GBVF prevention and response. This requires moving beyond compliance-driven “tick boxes” to genuine, transformative engagement that listens to and is led by communities themselves.

While funding remains vital—particularly for shelters, legal aid and psychosocial support—it is time to shift our focus from “firefighting” to building fireproof foundations. This means:

• Breaking down silos between departments,
• Investing in preventive programmes that address trauma and harmful social norms,
• Using real-time, community-driven feedback to refine interventions,
• And ensuring accountability mechanisms translate commitments into tangible action.

Unless and until we confront the root causes of GBVF, stories like that of Olorato Mongale will continue to make headlines—and families and communities will continue to bear the devastating costs of our collective inaction.

We stand in solidarity with Women for Change, the Women’s Legal Centre, and every organisation demanding urgency and a radical shift in how we address GBVF in South Africa.