Statistics gathered by the Social Policy Network (SPN) reveals that across call centres, over 120,000 calls were made by gender-based and domestic violence survivors over the first three weeks of lockdown alone. An increase of 65% of such calls has taken place at Vodacom call centres.
The backlog at the National Forensic Science Laboratories (NFSL) in processing DNA for GBV crimes now stands at nearly 100,000, and there is a shortage of rape kits at police stations.
MPP Gillion Bosman says: “An wholistic approach to understanding the increase in GBV is needed. Lockdown itself required victims to stay indoors and economic hardships deteriorated in an already slumped economy. These factors were worsened by the preexistence and increase of mental health issues.
As alluded to in the recent quarterly crime statistics report, we also have a situation where many survivors do not report crimes because of either the lack of transport, particularly during hard lockdown, and fear of secondary victimisation. With the strong culture of violence in our society, survivors too often lack confidence in the police and don’t have assurances that their cases will be treated with sensitivity and confidentiality.”
This data in addition to that from the SPN and SA Women Fight Back (SAWFB) demonstrates that we need a smart, data-driven approach to the pandemic of GBV.
MPP Bosman adds: “The successfully implemented hotspot model of the Western Cape – and later implemented nationally – in the fight against Covid-19 demonstrates what can be achieved with the necessary political will. Covid-19 taught us that government departments cannot work in isolation, nor can we overcome a pandemic without widespread public education and taking residents into our confidence through availability of critical information.
We therefore call on national government to adapt the hotspot model in the fight against this scourge and take the following steps:
- Develop inter-departmental work streams to tackle all aspects of GBV so that we overcome silo operations;
- Increase police sensitisation training;
- Urgently distribute rape kits, targeting prioritised areas;
- Adapt the Western Cape’s Court Watch Briefing Unit and improve access to the criminal justice system for survivors; and
- Increase partnerships with civil society in a whole-of-society approach so that the underpinning culture of violence is addressed.”
The DA in the Western Cape is committed to the upliftment and safety of survivors of all forms of violence. We can overcome this pandemic together with residents, government at all levels, and private organisations.
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