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Court teams across the Free State have officially kicked off their End Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) 100-Day Challenges, setting ambitious targets to reduce case backlogs, speed up the resolution of GBVF-related cases, and improve the court experience for survivors.

“Our court teams are actively rethinking how we work. We are improving collaboration, applying new technology in our courtrooms, and streamlining processes to ensure that survivors don’t have to wait months for justice,” says Joyce Mokoena, Chief Public Prosecutor in Welkom Cluster. “GBVF cases can be complex and involve multiple players such as NPA officials, SAPS, DOJCD, Correctional Services, the judiciary, Legal Aid South Africa and private practitioners. So, having everyone at the table and working toward shared goals is key to faster resolutions and enabling survivors to start healing.” 

The Free State court teams are now working towards clear, time-bound goals aligned with Pillar 3 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (Justice, Safety, and Protection). These goals include reducing the backlog of GBVF cases, increasing the monthly case finalisation rate, reducing case withdrawals, and improving the court experience for survivors.

Looking at some of these goals.

In Kroonstad court, the team aims to increase case finalisations from 7 to 40 per month and reduce backlog cases (older than 9 months) from 15 to 5. The Welkom team plans to increase monthly finalisations from 9 to 20. In Parys court, the goal is to move from finalising 1 case per month to 10. Harrismith’s goal is to reduce the backlog of GBVF cases from 7 to 3 and to clear the backlog of sexual offence cases entirely. Bethlehem aims to cut backlog cases in half, from 10 to 5. Brandfort plans to finalise one case per court sitting, to reduce backlog cases from 14 to 4 and to reduce the entire court roll from 46 to 20 at the end of the 100-Day Challenges

This cycle End GBVF 100-Day Challenges launched on 12 May and will run until 19 August 2025, and forms part of a rapidly growing national movement, now in its fourth year, that is accelerating results across the justice, education, and local governance sectors.

Since its inception, the End GBVF 100-Day Challenge programme has demonstrated that rapid, systemic change is possible. In 2022, 11 courts reduced their GBVF case backlogs by 98 percent. In 2023, domestic violence courts in Limpopo increased their case finalisation rate from 42 to 78 percent. In 2024, Limpopo teams again cut their backlog of domestic violence cases by 86 percent.

With more than 200 new challenges getting underway for 2025 across court, municipality, University and TVET college ecosystems, the programme is now one of the country’s largest and most results-driven responses to GBVF.

The urgency of this work is aligned with the government’s recent launch of a 90-day acceleration programme to intensify the national response to GBVF. This initiative aims to fast-track the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, addressing systemic bottlenecks and ensuring measurable progress.

“The End GBVF 100-Day Challenges are about doing things differently. They are about action, not just intention,” says Nomgqibelo Mdlalose, Movement Navigator for the programme. “By focusing on what can be achieved in 100 days, we are showing that meaningful change is not only possible but already underway.”

RELEASE DATE: 05 MARCH 2025

Last week (25 – 26 February 2025), over 40 local system leaders from municipalities and TVET colleges across South Africa were trained to organise, facilitate and support End Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) 100-Day Challenges in 2025. This training marks the first of five cohorts that will take on the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges – scaling up the movement from 137 End GBVF 100-Day Challenges in 2024 to over 200 in 2025.

The End GBVF 100-Day Challenges are locally led initiatives that drive rapid, results-oriented action within three critical ecosystems: courts, municipalities, TVET colleges and Universities. These multi-stakeholder teams – which can include (include but are not limited to) representatives from SAPS, NGOs, social workers, traditional councils, local government departments, and GBVF survivors – work towards bold, time-bound goals aligned with the National Strategic Plan on GBVF.

Highlight from past End GBVF 100-Day Challenges:

Over the past three years, the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges have catalysed real, measurable change:

• 2022: 11 courts in South Africa reduced their backlogs of GBVF-related cases by 98%.
• 2023: In Frances Baard, the team focused on creating safer public spaces, leading to a 45.5% reduction in sexual offence cases.
• 2023: In Greater Tzaneen, GBVF case withdrawals dropped by 70%, while reporting increased by 37%.
• 2023: Seven new rapid response teams were launched in the Free State, and Mossel Bay established four new GBVF hotlines.
• 2024: 1,200 women participated in an economic empowerment initiative, with 60 women-led businesses securing funding and supply chain opportunities. Of 52 municipal contracts awarded, 39 went to women-owned businesses.
• 2024: Drakenstein Municipality trained 40 new student social workers and converted buildings into safe spaces for GBV victims.
• 2024: Waterberg District Municipality reached 5,900 people through awareness campaigns, contributing to a significant drop in GBV case withdrawal rates as survivors gained greater trust in the justice system.

Scaling Up South Africa’s Response to GBVF

South Africa remains in the grip of a GBVF crisis, with recent crime statistics revealing that over 53,000 sexual offences were reported in the 2023/24 period—equating to 145 incidents per day. Many suggest that the real figures are much higher due to underreporting. These statistics underscore the urgency of coordinated, high-impact interventions like the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges.

“The training that took place is the first step in equipping leaders to drive change in a fast-paced, results-driven environment,” says Nomgqibelo Mdlalose, Movement Navigator for the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges. “This initiative is about moving from intention to impact. With each Challenge, we are strengthening South Africa’s capacity to respond to GBVF in ways that are immediate, community-driven, and sustainable.”

A Growing, Multi-Sectoral Movement for Change

With over 200 End GBVF 100-Day Challenges planned for 2025, this initiative is rapidly expanding as one of the country’s largest and most action-oriented movements to end GBVF.

Court teams will focus on reducing case backlogs, lowering withdrawal rates, and accelerating case finalisation.

Municipal teams will create more safe spaces, enhance support services for survivors, empower women-led businesses, and reduce GBV incidents in high-risk areas.

TVET college teams will break the silence on GBV, increase survivor access to care and support, and drive deterrence on campuses by holding perpetrators accountable.

The momentum behind the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges continues to build, with growing support from the government, civil society, and the private sector. This movement proves that rapid, measurable change is possible – and that communities, when empowered, are at the forefront of ending GBVF in South Africa.

The training was done at Anglo American – Centre of Experiential Learning, which generously provided the participants with the venue, food and accommodation. 

Follow these important developments on the 100-Day Challenges social media pages:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endgbvf_100daychallenges/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gbvf100days 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endgbvf100days