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Better services needed to support the victims of Gender Based Violence

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Dear MyPE

There is a dire need for better support services for the victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV) at police stations across the country.

Today I was accompanied by EC DAWN Chairperson, Georgina Faldtman DA BCM Coastal Constituency Leader, Chantel King, MP, and other DA representatives while doing an oversight inspection at the Buffalo Flats Police Station.

During the oversight it came to light that they station only has one officer appointed to offer support to GBV victims, and that the Victim Empowerment Centre is only open on weekdays, from 8am to 4pm.

This is a common trend that I have observed during oversights to Victim Empowerment Centres across the country.

This is counter intuitive, as the majority of cases of GBV and sexual assault at this station, and many others like it, are reported in the evenings and on weekends.

We were also informed that the station lacks vehicles, making it difficult for them to conduct follow ups after the initial case has been reported. The police station also has a very high absenteeism rate, with up to half of the staff compliment not reporting for work on a Monday!

Victims are not being afforded the necessary support and counselling that they need. Not only are these support centres understaffed, they are often inappropriate. The support centre at Buffalo Flats police station, for example, is housed in a small container outside the station, and there is no privacy.

We also engaged with a representative from Masimanyane’s Women’s Rights International, who have assisted police with training on dealing with victims reporting rape and abuse, and who provide support at the Buffalo Flats Police Station.

We also visited the Masithethe Counselling Service, which has spent the past 33 years interfacing with distressed and traumatized adults and children, providing emotional support and facilitating the development the individual’s resilience skills

The work that these organisations have done needs to be commended.

The DA Women’s Network has resolved to see how we can assist police, through training and developing policies, and identifying ways that the police can create an environment that is conducive to supporting GBV victims.

Police stations need to ensure that support services for victims of GBV are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Regards

Nomafrench Mbombo, MP
DA Women’s Network Leader

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