DESPITE being touted as a first for the country with a R10 million budget, there appears to be no set time lines as to when the Western Cape’s Violence Protection Unit will come into effect.
In announcing the establishment of the unit during the State of the Province Address, Premier Alan Winde said it would be responsible for identifying and designing interventions meant to reduce violence, especially gender-based violence (GBV).
“Our health department tracks data that helps us better understand violence, including alcohol-related, gender-based violence, or children at risk of violence, to name a few,” he said.
The provincial government is also in the process of implementing a plan for GBV Prevention, with R151.2m set aside from the previous financial year.
According to internal documents that Weekend Argus is in possession of, the Provincial Strategic Plan 2019-2024 forms part of the National Strategic Plan on GBV and femicide and aims to provide a multisectoral, coherent strategic policy and programming framework to ensure a co-ordinated response to GBV and femicide.
The document indicated that the Department of Health recorded 28 685 sexual assault cases reported by men and women at public health facilities in the Western Cape between April 2015 and March 2019, an increase of 13.5% over the four-year period in sexual offences reported to health facilities. The data analysis suggests that the proportion of sexual assault victims who are 13 years and older is higher than victims under 13. The data also showed an increase in the reported cases of victims under 13. But Social Development only had 27 social workers to deal with these GBV cases.
Health spokesperson Nomawethu Sbukwana said the province’s health 2030 reform policy made provision for violence to be tackled. “What lands on our shores are not only health problems but socio-economic and politico-cultural problems that lead to illnesses and a burden that drains our health system.”
She said even though there were no clear time frames, allocations had been made from the budget to fund the project. “The violence prevention unit will straddle the Strategic Cluster, Emergency and Clinical Support Services within the department and the plan is to have eight to 10 dedicated staff with cross-sectional teams that will utilise data and evidence, develop policy and work with relevant stakeholders to reduce violence.
“It is critical to note that this work will not only involve the department, but will be a collaborative effort with all the government departments.”
GBV activist Sandy Lawrence told Weekend Argus that the budget was just figures and no action. “ I don’t even take note of the budgets because I haven’t seen change or seen what the budget is really used for. Last year they built safe houses but we also don’t know where.”
Lawrence said if the government really cared to prevent GBV it should speak to organisations on the ground that worked with the victims face to face. “Ask the activists, organisations what they need, because there are many undocumented cases. Ask them how they feel the money should be used and provide updates. That way we will see and know and experience change and prevention.”
In a written response, Winde told the Provincial Legislature that the R151.2m included the cost of starting six GBV shelters as well as budgets related to Social Development and Health for their work with victims, work at Thuthuzela Centres and health care support services to victims of sexual assault and femicide.