As South Africa marks the annual 16 Days of Activism campaign, the President’s newsletter underscores the scale of the crisis and outlines government’s intensified response after officially declaring GBVF a national disaster last month.

“As South Africa and the world observes 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence from 25 November to 10 December, it is a shame that our country has the dubious distinction of having one of the world’s highest levels of violence against women and girls,” the President said.

According to data from the HSRC’s National GBV Study (2022), more than 35% of women over 18 have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, with most cases committed by intimate partners. The report, he said, provides the baseline needed to drive the country’s long-term response to GBVF through the National Strategic Plan adopted after the 2018 Presidential Summit.

Reflecting on the long-term effects of gender-based violence, President Ramaphosa said the impact is “arguably even more corrosive” than the devastation caused by COVID-19.

“Gender-based violence destroys families, has an economic cost, causes instability and fear for women and girls, and reproduces inter-generational trauma,” he wrote.

He said classifying GBVF as a national disaster strengthens the mandates of key departments, including Police, Justice, Social Development, Health and Basic Education, to scale up survivor support, expand shelters and safe spaces, and fast-track emergency resource allocation.

All organs of state are now required to submit progress reports to the National Disaster Management Centre.

The President highlighted recent briefings to Parliament’s Multiparty Women’s Caucus, where the SAPS and the Department of Justice reported steps taken to improve case management and strengthen the criminal justice system’s response to GBVF.

These include:

Expansion of victim-friendly facilities and specialised GBV desks at police stations
Establishment of a GBVF Information Centre at SAPS Academy Pretoria
Faster evidence processing and improved collaboration between SAPS and the NPA
A new 24-hour service for obtaining protection orders
Progress on anti-GBV legislation signed into law in 2022, including stronger sexual offences registers and more specialised courts
Despite this, President Ramaphosa acknowledged that implementation of the National Strategic Plan has been “uneven”, saying the disaster classification would help speed up funding flows for survivor services and improve access to justice.

Men are central to the solution

President Ramaphosa again emphasised that men must play a leading role in prevention efforts, echoing remarks he made during the Men’s Indaba in the Free State last week.

“Unless we directly engage men, we will continue to have marches, hold protests and conduct social media campaigns, but the statistics will not change. Even as men are the main perpetrators of GBVF, they are also part of the solution,” he said.

The President called for a nationwide, sustained programme of dialogues with men and boys to confront the drivers of violence including toxic masculinity, harmful cultural norms, peer pressure and socialisation.

President Ramaphosa further stressed that combating GBVF requires a whole-of-society response.

“A national disaster demands national responsibility. Whether as communities, civil society, government, faith leaders, business, unions or citizens, we must all play our part,” he said.

He urged South Africans to report abuse rather than “look away”, and to actively dismantle the attitudes that enable violence.

“The safety and security of women and children is everybody’s business. Let us continue to work together to realise a society free from gender-based violence and femicide,” President Ramaphosa said.

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According to the police, between 13 and 19 October 2025, the specialised units collectively arrested 534 suspects across the country for various sexual crimes, including rape, sexual assault, attempted rape, and other related offences.

“During the same period, FCS investigators secured 13 life imprisonment sentences and an additional 448 years’ imprisonment against convicted sexual offenders. These sentences were handed down in various courts following thorough investigations and meticulous case preparation by dedicated detectives,” the SAPS said.

Recent notable convictions include:

Free State: On 17 October 2025, the Bloemfontein High Court sentenced a 58-year-old lawyer from Welkom to three life terms and an addition 61 years’ imprisonment for the sexual abuse of five minor children.

The youngest victim was seven years old at the time of the offences. The victims’ stepfather was found guilty on charges of rape, indecent assault, sexual grooming, exposure to pornography to a minor, sexual exploitation of a child, production of child sexual abuse material, sexual assault, and compelled sexual assault.

Limpopo: The Limpopo Division of High Court Polokwane sentenced a 38-year-old serial rapist to 151 years’ imprisonment on 22 October 2025 for multiple counts of rape, attempted rape, and robbery.

The convicted serial rapist targeted women in and around Hlogotlou, Rakgadi and Nebo. The youngest victim was nine years old at the time of her attack.

The SAPS commended all men and women in blue for their continued dedication and commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of sexual violence are brought to justice and that survivors receive the justice and dignity they deserve.

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While the country has made strides in improving the lives of women, including having women represented in various roles in society, the level of violence against women continues to be of grave concern.

“I may not be able to answer the question of whether we are progressing or regressing, but I do know that we are at a very low end in terms of brokenness in the dignity or indignity with which women and children are being treated in this country at this moment.

“It has gone way beyond a question of criminality and crime,” Deputy Chairperson of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, told SAnews, during a recent interview.

As an independent advisory body appointed by the President, the NPC is tasked with advising government and Parliament on matters pertaining to the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030.

The Deputy Chairperson said the country has come to a point where one cannot merely say that the police must do their work.

“Of course, the police must do their job. When young mothers are getting involved in the abuse of their own children and fathers are getting involved in the abuse of their own children at the scale at which we are witnessing in this country, there is something much more deeper that is broken. We speak of social cohesion and maybe this is a devastating illustration of the lack of it,” he told SAnews.

Expanding on whether the country has made progress in tackling women’s issues, Maluleke said this was a mixed bag, adding that the establishment of a Ministry of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) as well as a good number of women in Parliament, were good signs.

He also welcomed the fact that the country has the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide National Strategic Plan (GBVF-NSP) which sets out to provide a cohesive strategic framework to guide the national response to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

“But we are currently confronted with a very worrying situation in which South African society seems to be turning against women. There’s almost a low-intensity war against women. If you look at the numbers of women who are victims of rape and violence, the numbers are simply mind-boggling as to what actually is happening in our country.”

At the release of the fourth quarterly crime statistics for the period 1 January – 31 March 2025, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said that rape cases had increased with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal contributing 19.1% and 19.9% respectively to the national total.

However, decreases in rape statistics were recorded in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, and the Western Cape.

This as the police acknowledged that gender-based violence and femicide affects all genders, adding that women remain disproportionately affected by rape, assault GBH, and murder

Additionally, a Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) study conducted in 2024 revealed that one in three women in South Africa have experienced physical intimate partner violence in their lifetime.  According to the report, between July and September 2024, 957 women were murdered, 1 567 survived attempted murders, and 14 366 were assaulted, resulting in grievous bodily harm. In addition, 10 191 cases of rape were reported during this period.

Maluleke also bemoaned the fact that “we have also become a society that is turning or eating its own children if you like, because children are being sold, raped, killed at very high and abnormal rates.”

“There is something broken in our society when it comes to the relationship between men and women; between society and children; men and children; women and children, because some of the cases indicate that.”

The Professor’s comments come as South Africa is at the tail end of Women’s Month.

In his reflections of Women’s Month, Maluleke said that in South Africa, the face of unemployment and poverty tends to be that of a woman – adding that the elimination of poverty, inequality and employment are the key objectives of the NDP.
“The NDP is not very vocal or very explicit on gender issues in general. It’s not very explicit but to the extent that the NDP is about the elimination of inequality, the ending of poverty and unemployment, it is, at least conscious of the people who are the faces of these problems.”

The commission is the custodian of the NDP.

“The face[s] of unemployment, the face[s] of poverty in this country are women. To that extent, there is an acknowledgement of the problems that affect women but perhaps not enough explicit reference to the broader gender issues that we have come to understand and appreciate very well now. [This] includes violence against women, issues of unequal pay and work that is not regarded as work and therefore unpaid work which tends to be done by women.”

As the country celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first official National Women’s Day on 09 August 2025, Maluleke said it is regrettable that the NDP did not anticipate the levels of violence against women.

“The levels of violence against women have exploded in our faces over the past decade or so and it is indeed regrettable that the NDP could not anticipate this problem to the extent that it has come.

“But I think it is a problem that has since been acknowledged by government and by society at large. There are plans and strategies that have since been developed and that has never been our problem as a country. We don’t lack plans and strategies. We just don’t implement as comprehensibly [and] as constantly as possible,” he explained.

Greater emphasis on women

On whether the NDP of the future will place greater emphasis on women’s issues, he said the existence of the DWYPD is a “massive acknowledgement” and attempt to address the problem.

“The current NDP expires in 2030, and plans are already afoot, certainly conversations have started within the National Planning Commission, about the next plan beyond 2030. I cannot imagine a plan beyond 2030 that does not foreground and not merely include but actually foreground issues such as violence against women and all the issues of inequality between men and women in society that we have come to appreciate so well,” he explained.

He said issues of gender have become as important as issues of race which were perhaps much more foregrounded in the period of the birth of the new democracy.

This as in June, the Commission said it was conducting feminist-led gender-mainstreaming workshops, in search of comprehensive responses to the current fate and state of women and youth.

The workshops were revealing a people “anxious and very concerned with the levels of violence and the continued non-representation of women’s voices at all the levels.”

“Sometimes you have the numbers of women but usually they don’t have roles that are influential or that can change the direction of the country.  The question of representativity has now gone beyond numbers. I spoke about the number of women in Parliament but that in itself is not enough. We are beginning to hear voices that are speaking out against the cliché and superficial nature of just numbers. Those are just some of the voices we are hearing.

“We are also realising that class has also become a very important matter in the country. Class in general but also class among and between women is also an issue that needs attention.

“It doesn’t help to have one class of women attempting to represent all classes of women. The same goes for other groups in society. So, intersectionality, inclusion, all of these issues have become much more paramount, and people are beginning to be rather rigorous in discussing them because they want to move beyond the numbers game.”

Asked about the status of women living with disabilities, Maluleke said they are among the most vulnerable in society in terms of inclusivity.

“Certainly, there is room in critical national processes to be more inclusive but also in ordinary day to day engagements and activities.”

Asked what his message to women this month would be, he said: “My message is for the sake of women who marched in 1956. We owe it to them not to give up, but also, we owe it to them to have policies and structures that affirm the dignity of women in this country and their role.

“The message to the women themselves is one of saying thank you. Thank you for your leadership, and thank you for your largely uncelebrated, unremarked but crucial role for the coherence of our society, but also for the economy of this country.
“Women are the backbone of the economy of this country because of the work they do, most of which is not recognised as such. Thank you to the women of the country,” he said.

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Speaking at the official launch, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola outlined the scope and objectives of the operation. He said the second phase of Shanela would build on the gains of the initial campaign, which led to over 1.2 million arrests in 18 months. Since 1 April 2025, over 180,000 individuals have already been arrested under Shanela 2, including:

• 6,971 suspects wanted for serious and violent crimes

• 1,881 for murder

• 1,576 for attempted murder

• 2,367 for rape

• 18,255 for assault GBH

• 1,119 for illegal firearm possession

• 25,643 for drug-related offences

The SAPS has further recovered 1,441 firearms, 27,005 rounds of ammunition, and 862 hijacked or stolen vehicles.

Masemola stated that Operation Shanela II will focus on six key crime categories: murder (including gang and taxi-related killings), hijackings, illegal firearms, drug crimes, and gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The aim is to improve operational efficiency through increased police visibility, advanced technologies, and focused deployments informed by recent crime statistics.

Nationwide Implementation

The operation is being implemented across all provinces, with each region focusing on local crime patterns.

Free State: Targeting Border and Urban Crime

In Mangaung Metro, Operation Shanela II is active in hotspots including Bloemspruit, Parkweg, Botshabelo, Boithuso, Kopanong, and surrounding border areas. The multidisciplinary team, which includes the Department of Home Affairs, Border Management Authority, and Provincial Traffic officials, recently held a joint parade in Wepener before executing cross-border operations.

• Nine undocumented individuals were arrested for immigration violations.

• A Toyota Quantum was impounded, and 75 vehicles and 161 people were searched.

• In Qibing, compliance checks led to the confiscation of 25 litres of home-brewed alcohol and 128,520 litres of alcohol. Fines were issued for unauthorised liquor sales.

• In Bloemfontein CBD, a 41-year-old man was arrested for dealing in crystal meth. Six undocumented individuals were detained, and several road traffic fines were issued.

Eastern Cape: Rural Crime and Firearms

In Mthatha, Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Major General Thandiswa Kupiso launched the provincial leg of the operation on 27 June. She described Shanela 2 as a “deliberate escalation” of crime-fighting efforts.

Early successes include:

• Arrest of two suspects in Sulenkama for possession of 24 suspected stolen goats.

• In Lusikisiki, a 46-year-old was arrested for possession of a 9mm pistol linked to a civilian.

• A 39-year-old was arrested in Bajodini, Qumbu, for possession of an unlicensed revolver.

Gauteng: Urban Crime and Illegal Mining

In Johannesburg, Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni led operations in Jeppe and Cleveland precincts. Detectives arrested 941 suspects for crimes including murder, attempted murder, hijacking, robbery, and rape.

• Roadblocks, raids, and mining disruption efforts resulted in 32 arrests for immigration violations, illegal mining, and drug-related offences.

• Fines totalling R24,500 were issued for traffic and by-law infringements.

At Mary Fitzgerald Square, officers held a coordinated parade before being deployed for stop-and-search operations throughout Johannesburg.

Western Cape: Tackling Gang and Liquor Offences

In Mfuleni, officers arrested a 23-year-old man for illegal liquor sales after a tip-off. A large quantity of alcohol was confiscated. The suspect is expected to appear in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court.

Community Outreach and GBVF Focus

Alongside enforcement, SAPS has intensified outreach to rural communities. In Bloemspruit, station leadership held a session on policing accessibility and community engagement. Multiple arrests were made for drug possession, possession of dangerous weapons, and immigration offences.

Operation Shanela II is intended to focus acutely on combatting gender-based violence. SAPS reported the arrest of 2,367 rape suspects and 162 attempted rape suspects in the previous three months. Additionally, convictions have been secured in high-profile GBVF cases, including several life sentences handed down by regional courts for rape of minors and serial sexual offences.

Furthermore, General Masemola has urged all officers to conduct themselves with discipline and integrity, maintain high command and control, and continue their efforts to “track and trace all wanted criminals.” He reaffirmed the SAPS’s commitment to creating safer communities and enhancing public trust in law enforcement.

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The occasion will also be attended by the Guest of Honour, Deputy Minister of Police Dr Polly Boshielo and the highest echelons of SAPS leadership, such as Divisional Commissioner of Detectives and Forensic Services, Lieutenant General HK Senthumule. Over 2,000 members of the community, such as students, traditional leaders, civil society members, and religious organisations, will attend mobilisation.

These community-based activities form part of the government-led wider program to provide women and children with safe spaces, awareness, and open discussions on the underlying causes of GBV.

The Imbizo will offer the residents a platform to express their lived experiences and frustrations and receive feedback on current government and police response. There will be a keynote address from Premier Ramathuba, reaffirming Limpopo’s provincial response and prevention strategy on GBVF.

Why Thohoyandou?

Thohoyandou in Vhembe District is one of the GBV hotspots in recent SAPS crime data. Sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and child abuse have all escalated in the last 12 months. These facts make the town a priority location for high-level engagement with government, traditional leadership, and grassroots mobilization.

Speaking earlier on to the media, Limpopo Premier’s Office senior spokesperson, Thilivhali Muavha who applauded the organised march stated that, “The selection of Thohoyandou is intentional”. “This is not tokenistic visibility alone – it is taking leadership to the frontline of the people in the communities where they are suffering.”

SAPS: A resolute force against GBV

The participation of SAPS at the highest levels indicates the on-going dedication of the police service to preventing, investigating, and partnering with the community to fight GBV.

SAPS have introduced a range of GBVF-specific interventions over the last two years, such as Operation Basadi – a continuous campaign of the SAPS Women’s Network and Men for Change to advocate the safety of women and gender equity within police ranks and communities.

The 2024 National Dialogues on GBV in all nine provinces, where SAPS co-chaired sessions with civil society to foster public trust and accountability.

The 2025 Anti-GBV Training Rollout that has capacitated more than 8,000 officers in victim-centered policing techniques and forensic interviewing.

Earlier this year, SAPS Limpopo opened a Mobile Victim Support Centre in Giyani, and reopened the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit satellite station in Jane Furse, demonstrating the determination of the police to broaden access to justice for victims.

Brigadier General Hlulani Mashaba reaffirmed that SAPS still focuses on “rapid response mechanisms, better case management, and forensic evidence collection” as fundamental pillars of their GBVF approach.

From strategy to street-level action

The National Strategic Plan on GBVF (2020-2030) of South Africa is still the overarching plan for all government departments. Its pillars include accountability, prevention, protection, justice, and healing.

Premier Ramathuba, known for her dynamic leadership style, has anchored Limpopo’s GBV prevention program to this strategy. She recently called for “total societal change” and “zero tolerance for GBV enablers – whether in homes, boardrooms or government corridors”.

Friday’s Imbizo and march are just months ahead of Women’s Month and are being viewed as a springboard for more focused interventions, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. The fact that institutions of higher learning were involved also speaks to an acknowledgment that GBV is disproportionately affecting students and young women.

A community-owned future

The event is being organised in collaboration with: Traditional Leaders, whose support is important in transforming dangerous cultural norms; Faith-Based Organisations, which will offer prayers and trauma counseling; Youth and Student Movements, who are the next line of advocacy; Women-operated NGOs, offering shelter, counseling, and legal support to victims.

“We are marching and not for awareness,” Muavha, the Premier’s spokesperson, said.

“We are marching for action, accountability, and healing.”

Deputy Minister Boshielo will also present recent developments in legislation to strengthen sentencing and bail for GBV-related offenses.

However, as the sun rises on 23 May over Thohoyandou, there will be marching in the thousands – not in protest, but in solidarity. The peaceful March and Imbizo are not just activities, but a collective statement that the people of Limpopo will not normalise violence. With intergovernmental unity, police action, and community ownership, a new chapter is being written in combating GBV.

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This follows the arrest of 224 suspects for rape, and five suspects for attempted rape between 5 and 11 May 2025.

Briefing the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, highlighted that amongst those arrested on allegations of rape, included a SAPS trainer, a traditional leader (Inkosi) from KwaZulu-Natal, and a 15-year-old boy in Mpumalanga.

“Additionally, 148 suspects were arrested for attempted murder, 256 suspects were arrested for dealing in drugs, 2 841 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs and 86 hijacked and stolen vehicles were recovered. Furthermore, 74 explosives mostly used in illegal mining and cash in transit robberies were seized by North West police,” Ntshavheni said.

Ntshavheni also noted that the SAPS operations to remove illegal firearms to ensure safer communities, has been intensified throughout the country, with over 100 firearms seized in the past week alone.

Inquiry into TRC cases welcomed

Cabinet has also commended the establishment of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to establish whether attempts were made to prevent the investigation or prosecution of apartheid-era crimes referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The establishment of the Commission of Inquiry follows a legal settlement reached in a court application brought by families of victims of apartheid-era crimes.

“Through this Commission, President Cyril Ramaphosa is determined that the true facts be established and the matter brought to finality,” Ntshavheni said.

The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established under the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act (Act No. 34 of 1995), was set up by the Government of National Unity to help deal with what happened under apartheid.

The conflict during this period resulted in violence and human rights abuses from all sides, and no section of society escaped these abuses.

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The primary responsibilities for the activists include offering emotional and practical support to GBVF victims, improving community awareness of available resources, and strengthening preventative measures against violence.

The GBVF activists will focus on:

• Victim support services: Providing emotional, psychological and practical assistance to survivors of GBVF at police stations and community centres.
• Community engagement: Conducting workshops and campaigns to raise awareness about GBVF and available support systems.
• Data collection and reporting: Assisting in documenting cases to ensure accurate data on GBVF trends and improve accountability.
• Collaboration with police: Strengthening trust between communities and law enforcement by advocating for victim-centred approaches in handling cases.

Speaking at the handing over of appointment letters during a ceremony at the Westville Correctional Centre on Monday 9 December, Ntuli highlighted the urgency to intensify the fight against GBVF and the critical role the activists will play.

“The scourge of gender-based violence continues to ravage our communities, and we can no longer stand by as silent observers. These 173 activists will be the lifeline for victims, a voice for the vulnerable, and a driving force for change in our province,” the Premier said.

Ntuli added that the appointments form part of the province’s broader GBVF strategy, which includes improving coordination among government departments, non-governmental organisations and communities.

“This initiative also ties into the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, which prioritises survivour support, prevention, and justice for victims,” Ntuli said.

The Premier emphasised the economic and social benefits of the initiative.

“By placing these activists at the forefront, we are not only protecting our citizens but also empowering individuals to take ownership of their communities and foster safer spaces for women and children,” the Premier said.

Ntuli also reiterated a call on citizens to take action and join hands in the fight against GBVF.

“Ending gender-based violence is not a responsibility of the government alone. It requires all of us—men, women, and children to take a stand, to speak out, and to work tirelessly to build a province where everyone feels safe and respected.”

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Marking Women’s Day on Friday 9 August, Ramaphosa said South Africa is deeply traumatised by the violence perpetrated against women and children. “This violence is a betrayal of our Constitution. It is an affront to our common humanity,” the President said.

In his address to the National Women’s Day commemoration held in Pofadder in the Northern Cape, the President referred to the Human Sciences Research Council’s first-ever national survey on gender-based violence prevalence in a democratic South Africa, saying that the survey results will help guide the response to gender-based violence.

The study was undertaken in 2022 based on a random sample of people interviewed at home. It measured issues like physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse, as well as controlling behaviour between intimate partners.

Among other things, the survey found that around 7% of women aged 18 years and older had experienced physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months. This rate was highest among young women, black women, women who completed secondary education, and women who are unmarried but live with a partner.

“Seven percent may not sound like a lot but this figure is the equivalent of 1.5 million women. So, according to the HSRC survey, over the course of just one year, more than one and a half million women experienced physical or sexual violence in our country. That is more than the entire population of the Northern Cape.

“These are not statistics. These are human beings. These are women who have endured trauma that no person should have to experience.”

The President said the survey highlights that physical violence starts early, often affecting adolescent girls and young women, and that it continues through adulthood.

“Around 13% of women who had ever been in an intimate relationship reported that they had experienced economic abuse at the hands of their partner. This is why we need to address the massive inequality in income between men and women.”

He stressed that on average, women earn a quarter of their income from grants, compared to a far lower percentage for men.

“We must therefore create more jobs and other economic opportunities for women, so they are less vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.”

The survey also showed that 4% of men reported having perpetrated physical violence against a woman in the preceding 12 months.

“This translates to over 600 000 men. This makes clear what we all know. Men must change their behaviour. Men must change their attitudes. That is why we today we call on all South African men to make a pledge to be part of the solution. To take responsibility for their actions.”

He called on men not to raise their hands against women, while also urging them to treat women as equals and with dignity.

“If we are to end gender-based violence, we must work together as a society. We must work together, both men and women, both young and old,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) continues. “Guided by our National Strategic Plan, we have introduced new laws that protect survivors of gender-based violence, improve the response of the police, and ensure harsher sentences for perpetrators.”

He told those gathered at the Dennis Nel stadium that government has opened up additional Sexual Offences Courts, while the network of Thuthuzela Care Centres has been expanded.

“We have introduced more victim-friendly services at police stations across the country. We have just recently passed legislation for the establishment of a Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Council to mobilise and coordinate work across society.”

Ramaphosa, joined by Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul and other government officials, signed a pledge for South African men to end gender-based violence and femicide during the national Women’s Day commemoration at the Denis Nel Stadium in Pofadder.

This year’s Women’s Day marks 68 years to the day since 20 000 women of diverse backgrounds marched to the Union Buildings to protest the pass laws of the apartheid regime.

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