The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has launched a 90-day blitz on the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa.
The Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security (JCPS) Cluster Ministers and senior officials held a special meeting on Monday, April 14, led by Cluster co-chairs Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu.
Recognising the seriousness of the problem, the Cluster determined to revive and immediately reconstruct the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on GBVF, with a formal request to the President for its re-establishment during the 7th Administration.
It is not clear why the government had disbanded the IMC.
"This urgent meeting was convened in response to the alarming surge in GBVF incidents across the country. It culminated in the adoption of a 90-day acceleration programme to intensify the national response and fast-track the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF," posted the South African Justice, Crime Prevention and Security X account.
The IMC's inaugural meeting is set to take place within two weeks. It will act as a central coordinating tool to speed up government initiatives, address systemic bottlenecks, and assure demonstrable results.
"This 90-day blitz marks not only a declaration of intent but the beginning of a coordinated, government-wide campaign to end GBVF.
"Implementation began immediately following the meeting, and the co-chairs emphasised that incremental change is no longer sufficient. Government enters this period with full force, calling on every organ of state and sector of society to play an active, decisive role in eradicating GBVF."
However, Women For Change's spokesperson Bulelwa Adonis said this blitz is yet another high-level promise, but it remains to be seen whether it will yield measurable results.
"We have countless initiatives and laws that are available in this country, yet they all seem to be in a slow processing queue, leading to further disappointment. This initiative is being led by the Minister of Police, which is concerning due to the miscommunication of previous cases, as we witnessed with Cwecwe's case. There's also a mention of the 'sudden' influx in femicide cases, which is completely baseless, considering that this isn't new information," said Adonis.
She went on to add that the SAPS statistics from April 2023 to March 2024 revealed the shocking rise of 33.8% in femicides.
"That alone is a clear indicator that this is not new information. This pandemic has existed for decades. Another critical issue is the factor of transparency.
"We, as society, need to know exactly what will entail in the trainings, knowledge of who the funding is being allocated to, and why. The big questions in regard to this are; will there be implementation? If so, will there be accountability to monitor adequate progress and impact? Until then, we will continue to hold our breath in anticipation."
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