Please find attach English and Afrikaans soundbites by Lisa Schickerling MP.

The DA has written to the Speaker of Parliament, Thoko Didiza, to request an urgent debate of national importance on the escalating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) crisis in Ekurhuleni. Parliament must hold those responsible for protecting our women and children to account.

Women across the country continue to face an ever-deepening crisis of safety and security, with at least nine women murdered in Ekurhuleni in just the last two months.

Violence and the threat of violence are a daily reality for women in our communities. These tragic deaths are part of a devastating cycle that demands urgent action from government, including the President, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Justice and other departments responsible for protecting women and bringing perpetrators to justice.

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Despite calls for the establishment of a multidisciplinary team, and civil society's intensified focus on the unfolding crisis, these cases remain unsolved.

Although the crisis of GBVF has long been on Parliament's agenda, the deteriorating situation in Ekurhuleni demands urgent and specific attention.

There can be no greater parliamentary priority than addressing an escalating crisis that continues to claim the lives of women and demands urgent action and accountability.