The murder of 30-year-old Olorato Mongale, an ICT student, in June 2025 has triggered a new wave of anger across South Africa, a country grappling with some of the highest femicide rates in the world. Olorato's body was discovered in a shallow grave, allegedly killed by her partner. Her death has reignited calls from activists and women’s rights groups for the government to declare femicide a national crisis.
South Africa’s police data indicates five women are murdered every day, often by intimate partners. Advocates accuse the government of failing to provide sufficient protection, ignoring early warning signs, and offering inadequate support for survivors. This latest case underscores the persistent gender-based violence epidemic, with demonstrators demanding urgent reforms, stricter enforcement of protection laws, and accountability mechanisms to address systemic neglect.
Compiled from: Rachel Savage, “South African woman’s murder prompts anger at country’s high level of femicide,” The Guardian, June 13, 2025.