Busa calls for ‘every sector of society’ to respond to femicide - TimesLIVE
South Africa’s largest trade association, Business Unity SA (Busa), has called on all sectors of SA society — including government and business — to double their efforts to respond to the urgent gender-based violence and femicide crisis in the country.
The call comes as SA reels from ongoing police investigations into the discovery of eight women’s bodies over the past two months, mainly in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.
In a statement, Busa said it was outraged by the brutal killing of women in Ekurhuleni, particularly in the Kempton Park area, as the business association extended its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.
“This crisis demands an all-in response. Silence, delay and fragmented action are no longer acceptable. Every sector and every community must act — together, now and with sustained commitment — until women are safe in their homes, workplaces and public spaces,” it said.
The association called the murders “an assault on human dignity, constitutional rights and the values on which South African society rests”.
While it welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive to prioritise these cases, Busa said the urgency should be the standard in every case.
“We urge anyone with information to assist law-enforcement agencies. As the business community, we care deeply about the safety and well-being of the society in which we operate. Busa stands ready to work with government, labour, civil society and communities on prevention, survivor support, safer workplaces and stronger accountability.”
“This terrifying wave of violent crime highlights a systemic safety crisis: South Africa remains extraordinarily unsafe in general, and it is exceptionally unsafe for women facing the relentless threat of gender-based violence and femicide,” he said.
SA cannot remain a country where women live under constant fear of lethal violence, said Zibi, adding that building a safer society requires collective accountability, stronger community action and decisive police response.
