GENDER BASED VIOLENCE: HOW CAN WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

By Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza, President of POPCRU

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a systemic and prevalent problem in South Africa, disproportionately affecting women and girls.

The South African Police Service statistics show that sexual offences and rape increased by 13% between 2017/18 and 2021/22. There was a 52% increase in the murder of women, and 46% increase in the number of children murdered between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022.

At the second Presidential Summit on GBV, President Cyril Ramaphosa blames these high figures on the slow implementation of its National Strategic Plan (NSP). Since the inception of the plan at the inaugural summit in 2018 several reforms have been introduced which has proven effective in the fight against GBV.

At the beginning of the year three key pieces of legislation were signed into law, namely the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act, and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act. These new laws afford greater protection to victims, provide greater support, and bring perpetrators to justice.

Through these laws, it is possible to conquer this societal plague, however, I believe there is more that needs to be done to rapidly bolster our fight against GBV.

Dedicated courts:

Under the NSP, the Department of Justice and Correctional Services has been tasked with implementing reforms in the criminal justice system to ensure that the system prioritises survivors and their needs. I strongly advocate that we need to implement courts solely dedicated to GBV cases.

Since the last Presidential Summit, 83 courts have been upgraded into Sexual Offences Courts as part of improving accessibility and functioning of the system. Having dedicated courts to deal with gender-based violence cases would be beneficial for several reasons.

GBV cases will be dealt with by the same group of judges and prosecutors, who gain expertise with GBV, which will result in more consistency in these cases. These officials will become more sensitive to the needs of victims and will be better resourced to direct them to additional community resources and social services. The dedicated courts and prosecution teams will process cases more efficiently. This separate system will also create a more dignified experience for victims as they are not hauled through the regular court system.

These systems will often deal with repeat offenders allowing authorities to become more familiar with the cases. Allowing fewer authorities to deal with these cases might help deter further violence as offenders will expect harsher punishment.

Support Services:

Over the past four years and since the first presidential summit, support for victims has been prioritised through shelters and care centres, and a dedicated GBV Command Centre has been established.

A network of Thuthuzela Care Centres has opened across the country as a place of refuge and support for victims. These centres are crucial as they have proven extremely effective in improving conviction rates. According to the Presidency, over the last year a 77% conviction rate was achieved through the centres.

I urge government to open more of these centres and to prioritise it in hot-spot areas where incidents of GBV are more prevalent. So far 45 out of 52 districts have at least one centre, but this it is not nearly enough. We need to do more to capacitate the areas without shelters with more police officers while these centres are being completed.

South Africa will benefit from creating mass awareness on the GBV Command Centre (GBVCC). The GBVCC employs social workers who refer calls directly to SAPS and field workers. A national campaign would effect change within communities and shed light on which areas are more affected. This allows police to redirect resources to areas most plagued by violence. Citizens need to be aware that this service exists and how it can assist them.

I’m a proponent of education and training. I believe that we need to train police officers on how to deal with domestic violence victims. Social workers need to assist police with knowledge and expertise to assist in managing GBV cases. Provision of psychosocial services following incidents of trauma need to be made available for victims at police stations.

By continually innovating, changing government policy and putting in place measures to reduce violence, we will reduce GBV rates in the country. I truly believe this is achievable within our lifetime.