Johannesburg - More than a 1 000 volunteer women’s brigades were expected to take to the streets of Gauteng on Monday in an attempt to curb gender-based violence (GBV).
The brigades will be partnered with police officials as they carry out their awareness on the impact of GBV in their allocated wards.
The GBV brigades were subject to month-long rigorous training on how to detect and assist those victims who suffer in silence in their local communities.
In September, Police Minister Bheki Cele listed eight places in the province as the country’s GBV hot spots. These included Dobsonville, Mamelodi East, Tembisa, Diepsloot, Honeydew, Alexandra, Moroka and Orange Farm.
The brigades were officially sworn in by the Gauteng Community Safety
MEC Faith Mazibuko at the Dlamini Multi-purpose Hall in Soweto.
The MEC was joined by senior SAPS members, local leadership and other stakeholders with an interest in safety.
The brigades have been offered branded clothing in order to be visible and identifiable as they walk through communities supported by the police and their local community police forums.
The youth brigade launch forms part of the provincial government’s response against GBV.
Mazibuko conceded that her department was deeply saddened by Gauteng communities which were disproportionately affected in recent times by GBV that had left many women tormented and traumatised.
“The GBV brigades are expected to be in the front line in the fight against GBV, working in their wards, visiting households and creating awareness on the impact of GBV. They will assist law enforcement to ensure that there is a reduction in GBV.”
The MEC made a commitment to assist police with resources to enable them to fight GBV.
“We are going to donate cars to police stations to ensure that victims of GBV are not transported in the same car with the perpetrators when going to the police station.”
Mazibuko said victim-empowerment centres would also use these cars to accompany victims to the hospital and to court.
The GBV brigades were encouraged to work closely with police and Community Police Forums.
The department has also made available professional services from Ikhaya Lethemba. Services such as psycho-social support will be offered to the brigades to assist them in dealing with trauma.
The Star