Active citizenry and the active involvement of communities have an important role to play in fighting the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

This according to Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel, who was speaking during the launch of the Mitchell’s Plain Thuthuzela Care Centre on Monday.

Nel explained that Mitchell’s Plain has South Africa’s highest prevalence of crimes like common assault, drug related crimes, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition attempted murder – breeding a dangerous environment for women.

‘This explains the environment within which GBVF is taking place. It also underscores the point… that our Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster, our criminal justice system, has an indispensable role to play.

‘But the reality is, there’s a social and economic foundation to these problems, which we are not going to solve without a broader socio-economic transformation of our country, our communities but also the active involvement
of each and every citizen,’ Nel said.

The Deputy Minister said as communities are being urged to play their role, government is also doing its part in passing new laws and amending legislation that ‘aims to bring about changes, which are practically implementable and offer meaningful protection to those who need it’.

Those three new laws are:

the Criminal Law Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act;

the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act, and

the Domestic Violence Amendment Act.

‘This legislation, amongst others, addressed the need to include the particulars of all sex offenders and not only sex offenders against children and persons who are mentally disabled. It also expanded the list of persons who are to be protected to include other vulnerable persons.

‘It also increases the period for which a sex offender’s particulars must remain on the register before it can be removed. It also creates a reporting duty that any person who has knowledge, reasonable belief or suspects that a sexu
al offence is being committed against a person who’s vulnerable must report…immediately to a police official.

‘The Domestic Violence Amendment Act… has also been amended to address practical challenges, gaps and anomalies which have been in the Act since 1999. The amended legislation has included new definitions [of abuse] such as controlling behaviour and coercive behaviour,’ he said.

Nel said government is also working to ensure that the number of TCCs – which provide crucial medical and psychosocial support to victims – is increased throughout the country.

‘That’s why we must endeavour to increase the number of TCCs as quickly as possible. The new Mitchell’s Plain TCC will increase the national footprint to 65 across the country. This is the tenth TCC in the Western Cape.

‘There are a number of TCCs that are ready to open and start operations but they need input from other departments and we commit ourselves to facilitate that engagement,’ he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency