By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill and the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill in a ceremony at the Union Buildings on Friday.
The two signed pieces of legislation will form part of government’s efforts to strengthen institutions, develop partnerships and build state capacity.
The National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will coordinate and provide strategic leadership to the fight against GBV and femicide, and be multi-sectoral, drawing on the expertise of all stakeholders, including civil society, labour and business.
“As we mark 30 years of democracy we know our aspirations to be a truly free and equal society cannot be achieved as long as criminals steal the resources meant for the benefit of the people and women and children do not feel safe and free to walk our streets,” he said.
The legislation on GBV is to establish the National Council on GBV and femicide dedicated to the safety and security of women through a collective approach to combat violence against women.
The statutory council will be a multisectoral body made up of expertise from civil society, labour and business, mandated to provide strategic leadership in eliminating GBV, said Ramaphosa.
“Establishing this council was one of the resolutions of the first presidential summit on gender-based violence and femicide, which I convened in 2018.
“We need a national effort that is more inclusive, more focused and better resourced. We are confident this council will provide much of what we need and will further strengthen the national effort to eradicate violence against women and children.”
South Africa is no stranger to gruesome cases of gender-based violence (GBV). In 2013, Anene Booysen, 17, was brutally attacked, raped, and disembowelled in Bredasdorp.
In 2017, 22-year-old Karabo Mokoena’s body was found burnt in an open field in Johannesburg. Her then boyfriend was later charged and jailed for her murder.
In 2019, 19-year-old university student Uyinene Mrwetyana was raped and murdered at a post office in Cape Town. In 2020, the body of 28-year-old Tshegofatso Pule, who was eight months pregnant, was found stabbed and hanging from a tree outside Johannesburg. A year later, 23-year-old law student.
Nosicelo Mtebeni was killed and dismembered, her body found stuffed inside a suitcase. These crimes left the nation reeling, but they are just a few of many.
Police Minister Bheki Cele released the second-quarter crime statistics for 2023/2024. He reported that South Africa recorded 10,516 rapes, 1,514 cases of attempted murder. A total of 14,401 assaults against female victims occurred in July, August, and September.
In the same period, 881 women were murdered. Reports also suggest that GBV intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic as victims were no longer able to escape their attackers.
The NPA Amendment Bill amends the NPA Act to establish the Investigating Directorate against Corruption.
This directorate will eventually incorporate the Investigating Directorate (ID) established five years ago within the NPA to investigate corruption and other serious crimes identified by the commission of inquiry into state capture.
The ID has seen progress in the five years, including taking 39 state capture and corruption cases to court which involved 212 accused people and 68 accused entities.
During that period, the NPA also convicted 700 government officials for corruption while its Asset Forfeiture Unit restrained and preserved “state capture” assets valued at more than R14bn. More than R6bn has been recovered so far, said Ramaphosa.
“The Investigating Directorate against Corruption will be a permanent, prosecution-led agency with full criminal investigating powers. This legislation will help overcome challenges with capacity and expertise within the NPA to investigate and prosecute complex cases.”
The newly established ID against Corruption will be able to recruit and retain specialist skills to deliver its mandate while permanent criminal investigators will be appointed with full police powers.