The Gauteng Provincial Government has shut down 20 liquor outlets and conducted more than 7,300 inspections as part of an intensified crackdown on alcohol-related violence, amid growing pressure to tackle the province’s gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) crisis.
This was announced during a media briefing hosted by Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Sunday morning.
The province has also deployed additional resources to high-risk communities, strengthened survivor support services and stepped up efforts to address forensic backlogs and outstanding criminal cases involving women and children.
In a progress report released on Sunday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi revealed that 21 of the 67 directives under its GBVF intervention plan have been completed, 38 are currently being implemented, while eight have yet to begin.
The interventions follow President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on 29 September 2026, in which he acknowledged that existing measures to combat gender-based violence were insufficient and ordered urgent action to address the crisis.
Ramaphosa directed authorities to accelerate investigations into outstanding murder, attempted murder, rape and serious sexual offence cases involving women and children, clear forensic laboratory backlogs, conduct municipal safety audits and introduce measures to reduce alcohol-related violence.
“We subsequently adopted a fifth priority focusing on strengthening places of safety and support services for survivors,” Lesufi said.
According to the premier, 7,322 liquor outlet inspections have been conducted, resulting in 20 closures and 459 non-compliance notices.
“A further 566 outlets have been referred to the Liquor Inspectorate for additional compliance inspections, while 41 joint law enforcement operations have been carried out,” he added.
“Enforcement operations will continue to target unlicensed liquor outlets, repeat offenders and establishments trading beyond permitted hours”.
Specialised training for Gauteng crime prevention wardens is also expected to begin in early November.
The province has identified 122 high-risk areas for intensified interventions, with plans to deploy 1,022 GBV response teams.
“Additional support is being directed towards police stations recording high numbers of rape cases, including Rietgat, Alexandra, Mamelodi, Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Dobsonville, Midrand and Tembisa. The provincial response also includes plans to strengthen seven specialised Sexual Offences Courts, 144 victim-friendly facilities and 19 Medical Legal Clinics,” Lesufi said.
In efforts to address forensic backlogs, crime kits have been recovered from Thuthuzela Care Centres across all five districts and submitted to the Forensic Science Laboratory for processing.
Investigating officers are now required to take crime kits to medical examinations to prevent delays in evidence collection.
“An Identification Task Team has also been established to conduct a digital fingerprint audit of unidentified women and children, while priority DNA and forensic samples relating to rape and murder cases have been secured for focused attention,” he added.
However, the province acknowledged that significant work remains to reduce forensic backlogs, recover missing case dockets and strengthen the monitoring of missing-person cases.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni have reported progress in identifying and addressing public spaces considered unsafe for women.
“In Johannesburg, authorities have mapped major crime-risk zones and are preparing ten previously hijacked or illegally occupied buildings for public reuse. Tshwane has cleared overgrown vegetation around high-risk public transport stations, while Ekurhuleni has inspected taxi ranks across the metro and identified faulty CCTV systems requiring repairs,” said the Premier.
Municipal safety audits are between 60% and 80% complete across most municipalities, with urgent hazards expected to be addressed or incorporated into funded action plans within 90 days.
The province has also reported progress in expanding support services for survivors of gender-based violence.
“Currently, 18 shelters provide 363 beds across Gauteng, supported by seven Thuthuzela Care Centres and expanded psychosocial services. Psychosocial support has reached tens of thousands of people over the past six months, while new referral tools have been introduced across all 43 protection-order courts,” said Lesufi.
Technical problems affecting the province’s e-Panic Button application have also been resolved, while CCTV surveillance networks have been expanded to strengthen community safety.
Despite these interventions, the provincial government conceded that major challenges remain, particularly the forensic backlog, outstanding case recovery information and delays in municipal safety interventions.
The government said it would continue monitoring progress through weekly intergovernmental meetings and a coordinated reporting system.
“Gauteng bears a significant share of our nation’s gender-based violence and femicide crisis, and we fully accept our duty to act,” Lesufi said.
“Protecting our women and children is an absolute priority that demands immediate action, as delayed justice is no justice at all.”
Lesufi said the province remains committed to ensuring that the interventions translate into tangible results, including improved protection for women and children, stronger survivor support systems and the prosecution of perpetrators.
The latest report comes approximately 33 days into the government’s 90-day intervention period, with provincial authorities under pressure to demonstrate measurable progress in tackling one of South Africa’s most persistent social crises.