By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has outlined key interventions to strengthen the province’s response to Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
This in line with the four-point plan outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa to fight GBVF.
These include the National Case-Recovery Operation, forensic backlog reduction, municipal women’s safety audits and alcohol-related violence.
The province has also added a fifth intervention focused on strengthening existing places of safety for vulnerable women through audits of facilities, buildings, staffing and funding gaps, ensuring survivors know where to seek help and that facilities are adequately equipped.
The Premier noted that the province has had an anti-GBVF plan and is not building systems from the ground up.
“What we are doing now is auditing the case numbers that are based, tracking individual recovery action plans, following up on police station failures, especially on lost dockets, protection orders, bail-related safety and family communication, and providing additional support to the affected municipalities in particular, to the municipality of Ekurhuleni.”
“All municipalities agreed to provide an audit, in the next seven days, on the following areas that have been identified: broken streetlights, overgrown spaces and poorly secured parks, abandoned or hijacked buildings, unsafe routes, taxi ranks and facilities and areas that will assist us to get evidence in terms of CCTV cameras and other support systems” he explained.
A technical team has also been established to also draw national departments and entities closer that may provide additional support to the province.
“This, we believe, will ensure that our action plan on dealing with the directives of the President will be relevant, up-to-date, up to speed, measurable but most importantly, that each and every member of society can track what we are committing ourselves to do as the provincial government, municipalities and national government.”
The province has also identified 10 police stations to be prioritised for support in the fight against GBVF.
The 10 stations have recorded the highest rape cases, and these stations include Rietgat, Alexandra, Mamelodi, Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Dobsonville, Redhill, Midrand and Tembisa, amongst others.
“We are of the view that if we can’t put additional resources in terms of policing, victim empowerment and all related issues…including dockets in these police stations, we would have failed the call that the President has given us.”
“That’s why we have to ringfence these police stations and provide the relevant support that is needed,” Lesufi said.
Additionally, consolidated support the provincial government has given includes the strengthening of seven Thuthuzela Care Centres and providing support to sexual offence courts, which house the 144 victim friendly rooms.
“We are also bringing in the 19 Medical Legal Clinics to assist in preventing the loss of forensic evidence.”
“In addition, we are increasing and amplifying SAPS [South African Police Service] GBV desks to deal with cases swiftly. A total of 1022 GBV brigades will be deployed across 122 high-risk police precincts with tools of trade. We are adding 56 social workers within the Department of Social Development,” Lesufi explained.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who was also part of the briefing, reflected on the cases of women killed in Ekurhuleni, noting that reports are “indicating a trend of victims being killed by people close to them”.
“We have pleaded that the police…can only police outside our yards. We have called on the public and families to report incidents of abuse of women. It is for that reason the President has called for dialogues for men and families.
“What we are concerned about as government is the high number of crimes targeted at women by people closest to them. But also, we are working to make sure that we create public spaces that are safe for women to exist [and] also create shelters for women to go to for help and opportunities for women to be supported,” Ntshavheni said.
She added that both the GBVF Command Centre and Crime Stop numbers are fully operational.
Members of the public can report information through the Crime Stop toll-free number, 08600 10111, or contact the 24-hour Gender-Based Violence Command Centre on 0800 428 428.
The GBV Command Centre can also be reached by sending a Please Call Me to 1207867#, SMSing “HELP” to 31531, or contacting Skype: Helpme GBV.