Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu has launched the Provincial Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide that will improve access to essential services for GBVF victims.
Wednesday’s launch in Secunda marked a step forward in the province’s commitment to addressing the deep-seated inequalities and GBVF that plagues communities.
The newly established council will focus on improving access to essential services for GBVF victims, including shelters, counselling, legal support, and healthcare.
It is envisaged that the structure will develop an action plan for the implementation of the Provincial Strategic Plan on GBVF (PSP-GBVF), recently approved by Members of the Executive Council (EXCO).
Ndlovu said the launch affirms the provincial government’s commitment to fight the GBVF pandemic, given the increase in GBVF cases in the province.
Ndlovu said the statistics of sexual offences, which increased from 641 in March 2022 to 746 in March 2023, underscores the urgency of the structure.
“Through the provincial structure, we are bringing together government, civil society, and the private sector to create a collective response to GBVF. The structure will effectively coordinate all GBVF intervention programmes, in our quest to eliminate the pandemic.
“We stand in solidarity with survivors, dedicating ourselves to rebuilding their lives, and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable for their heinous crimes. Justice will be served, and no offender will go unpunished. This initiative is a testament to our unwavering resolve to create a safer, more equitable society for all,” the Premier said.
The council will be constituted by government representatives, with the Premier as a co-Chairperson, the private sector, the civil society, and traditional leadership.
A pledge was signed at the end of the event as a commitment by all stakeholders to fight GBVF.
The launch aligns with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of GBVF as a national crisis and a second pandemic. – SAnews.gov.za
