By Thapelo Molefe
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa has called on men across South Africa to take the lead in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide, saying the killings of women have become a national crisis.
Hlabisa made the call on Sunday while launching the Inkatha Freedom Party’s five-point manifesto for the 2026 Local Government Elections at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu, Durban.
His address came as he paid tribute to nine women whose bodies were discovered in Ekurhuleni over the past two months.
Hlabisa said men could no longer simply distance themselves from gender-based violence by saying crimes were committed “not in our name”.
“To say not in our name is no longer enough because it continues in our name. Now we must say it ends here and now,” he said.
He called for men’s forums to be established across the country to bring men together with government, civil society and other stakeholders in the fight against femicide.
“The time has come to call all men of South Africa, working together with government and civil society and all stakeholders to lead the war against femicide,” Hlabisa said.
He also called for the perpetrators of the Ekurhuleni killings to be arrested and said those convicted should receive life sentences without the option of parole.
Hlabisa said the police were already working to trace those responsible and expressed confidence that arrests would be made with the assistance of members of the public.
He also commended the intervention by taxi patrollers in Tembisa, who he said assisted in the arrest of an Uber driver accused of raping a 17-year-old girl.
“This is what is needed to end the GBVF in our communities,” he said.
The fight against gender-based violence forms part of the IFP’s fifth manifesto commitment, which focuses on women, youth and persons with disabilities.
The party said IFP-led municipalities would allocate funding for CCTV cameras in municipal areas and support women’s access to personal safety equipment, including personal alarms.
It also plans to promote self-defence classes for women in communities and strengthen gender-based violence and femicide desks, shelters, social workers, community safety initiatives and psychological services.
Hlabisa said women’s safety should be treated as a core municipal responsibility.
“Safety and dignity of women are not optional. They are not a secondary issue,” he said.
“They must be central to budgets, plans and daily operations of our municipalities.”
The IFP said it would also support sanitary dignity initiatives and ensure that women have a greater role in municipal decision-making.
Hlabisa said women should be represented in senior municipal positions, including as mayors, speakers and deputy mayors.
“Women must be in chambers where decisions are made and they must lead those decisions,” he said.
The party’s manifesto also proposes measures aimed at young people and persons with disabilities, including bursaries, internships, practical training, free Wi-Fi zones and skills programmes in artificial intelligence, coding, robotics, data analytics and cybersecurity.
Hlabisa said municipalities should build safer public spaces and ensure that programmes for women, youth and persons with disabilities are properly funded through municipal plans and budgets.
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