By Thapelo Molefe
South Africa’s fight against gender-based violence will require more than preventing and prosecuting perpetrators, with a new Stats SA survey showing that some men and women still regard violence against intimate partners as acceptable in certain circumstances.
The 2025/26 Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey found that more men than women believed there were situations in which it was acceptable for a man or husband to hit or beat his partner.
Among men, the most commonly cited justification was a wife having sex with another man, while among women, the leading justification was a husband or partner having sex with another woman.
The findings come as 81.3% of women and 80.5% of men said they believed a spouse or intimate partner committed most acts of gender-based violence.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said the findings highlighted the need to address social norms alongside policing.
“This one becomes very critical
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