Qhawekazi Mazaleni, Miss South Africa 2025, backs gender-based violence as a national disaster

Miss South Africa 2025, Qhawekazi Mazaleni, has publicly supported the call to declare gender-based violence a national disaster after she took to TikTok to express her views, stating that the current situation in the country is unacceptable and abnormal.

The women's rights advocacy group Women For Change is calling for gender-based violence (GBV) to be declared a national disaster and has urged social media users to put up purple profile pictures in solidarity.

Many celebrities in SA have joined the movement, and many of them, including Mazaleni, have changed their profile pictures to purple or added a purple overlay.

Mazaleni shared: “Guys, what we are doing is not normal. And I am going to again urge you not to become desensitised to what is happening because it is not normal.”

She also shared that the statistics are alarming after it was revealed that the femicide rate in our country has increased by a shocking 33.8% compared to the previous year.

“And even when we talk about 33.8% that’s also a lot. A 33.8% increase in GBV from last year. And the petition to declare GBV a national disaster was submitted last year, and it was rejected.

“It’s a year later with a 33.8% increase since then, and we are fighting the same fight - it is not normal.”

The 24-year-old further added that she has seen people share their stories and what they went through; she thanked them for being strong enough to share their stories.

“And again, I was just watching a video of somebody else’s story, and to everybody who has even shared their very personal stories, thank you.

“I can’t even begin to imagine the kind of strength and vulnerability it takes to share that. But at the same time, you shouldn't have to because it shouldn't be happening.”

The beauty queen also urged people to take part in the movement by changing their profile pictures, engaging in the shutdown that is scheduled to take place on November 21, signing the petition and not letting the movement die down after the shutdown.

She added, “It is not normal for women to be in fear each and every day, for children to be forced to grow up sooner than they really have to or for us to even be creating petitions like this.”

On Friday, November 21, South African women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community are being urged to stage a nationwide shutdown in protest against GBV and femicide.