Gauteng GBV response plan: Where the help is going and how to reach it

· The South African

The Gauteng GBV response plan, the province’s strategy to tackle gender-based violence (GBV), is taking shape, and some of the province’s hardest-hit communities are first in line.

The plan promises new teams on the ground, extra social workers and more support for survivors.

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A progress update released by Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Sunday, 1 November, shows how far it has come.

The update comes about 33 days into the 90-day period President Cyril Ramaphosa set in his address on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) on 29 September.

It also follows the murders of at least 12 women in Ekurhuleni and other parts of the province since July.

“Gauteng bears a significant share of our nation’s gender-based violence and femicide crisis, and we fully accept our duty to act,” Lesufi said.

What the Gauteng GBV response plan includes

At the centre of the plan, the province will deploy 1,022 GBV response teams across 122 high-risk areas.

In October, Lesufi first described them as GBV “brigades” that the province would deploy across 122 high-risk police precincts with tools of trade.

The province has used GBV brigades before.

Under former premier David Makhura, they included safety volunteers working at ward level to raise awareness and link survivors to support.

The province is also adding 56 social workers within the Department of Social Development to support victims and survivors.

Other measures include:

  • strengthening seven Thuthuzela Care Centres, where rape survivors receive medical care and help to open a case
  • supporting sexual offences courts, which house 144 victim-friendly rooms
  • involving all 19 of the province’s Medical Legal Clinics to help safeguard forensic evidence.

Gauteng has also added a fifth priority to Ramaphosa’s four directives, focused on strengthening places of safety and support services for survivors.

Which communities is the Gauteng GBV response plan targeting?

The province has singled out the 10 police stations recording the highest numbers of rape cases for extra support.

They include Rietgat, Alexandra, Mamelodi, Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Dobsonville, Redhill, Midrand and Tembisa.

Lesufi said reported cases had already declined at these stations since the plan began.

Visible policing has also been stepped up in high-risk areas.

How the Gauteng GBV response plan aims to make public spaces safer

Municipal safety audits are 60% to 80% complete in most municipalities.

The provincial government said it would repair urgent hazards found during the audits, or add them to funded action plans, within 90 days.

It will also publish detailed audit results online so the public can monitor progress.

Each metro has started acting on its findings:

  • Johannesburg has mapped major risk zones and prepared 10 previously hijacked buildings for public reuse.
  • Tshwane has cleared overgrown vegetation around high-risk transit stations.
  • Ekurhuleni has inspected all its taxi ranks and flagged broken CCTV systems for repair.

Authorities have also carried out 7,322 liquor outlet inspections, closed 20 outlets, issued 459 non-compliance noticesand run 41 joint enforcement operations.

Tackling the forensic backlog

The province has recovered crime kits from Thuthuzela Care Centres in all five districts and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory.

Investigating officers must now carry crime kits to medical examinations, so evidence is not left behind.

An Identification Task Team has also been set up to run a digital fingerprint audit of unidentified women and children.

When will the Gauteng GBV teams arrive?

This is where questions remain.

Of the 67 directives in the province’s response, only 21 have been fully completed. Another 38 are under way, and eight have not yet started.

Reports differ on whether all 1,022 teams are already on the ground, and no full deployment date was given.

The province admits that challenges remain, especially with forensic backlogs and speeding up municipal safety work.

“Protecting our women and children is an absolute priority that demands immediate action, as delayed justice is no justice at all.”

How to get help now

Survivors do not need to wait for the new teams.

Gauteng has 18 shelters with 363 beds, and new referral tools have been rolled out at all 43 protection-order courts. Technical problems with the e-Panic Button app have been fixed, and CCTV networks have been expanded.

These services are available 24 hours a day:

  • GBV Command Centre: 0800 428 428
  • “Please call me”: dial 1207867# for free to request a social worker
  • SMS line for people with disabilities: send “help” to 31531
  • SAPS emergency: 10111
  • Childline: 0800 055 555

HAVE YOU NOTICED MORE SUPPORT OR VISIBLE POLICING IN YOUR AREA? 

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