President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a national strategy to address the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. The strategy aims to bring together government departments and tiers of government to implement a comprehensive plan to combat GBV. This move comes in response to a recent wave of killings, including the discovery of 11 women's bodies in Ekurhuleni since July. Ramaphosa's plan includes several interventions to strengthen the fight against GBV.
One of the criticisms of the government's classification of GBV in November last year was that it did not unlock new funds to fight the scourge. Instead, all government departments were expected to reprioritize their budgets and make allocations towards GBV. However, in his address, Ramaphosa instructed departments to present a funded implementation plan to reduce forensic backlogs. He also committed to making more funds available to strengthen the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units.
The Minister of Finance will allocate more resources to the fight against GBV in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. Ramaphosa's announcement comes after a series of incidents that have highlighted the severity of GBV in South Africa. The president has described violence against women as a stain on the country's national conscience. He has promised that a first consolidated report on the implementation of the national strategy will be issued within 90 days.
The report will be followed by public progress reports every quarter thereafter. Ramaphosa's plan includes a four-point plan to tackle GBV, which involves strengthening the implementation of existing policies and legislation. The plan also aims to improve support services for survivors of GBV and to address the root causes of violence against women. The president has emphasized the need for a multi-faceted approach to combat GBV.
The national strategy to address GBV has been welcomed by various stakeholders, who have called for a comprehensive approach to combat the scourge. The strategy is expected to be implemented in phases, with the first phase focusing on strengthening the capacity of government departments to respond to GBV. The implementation of the strategy will be monitored and evaluated to ensure its effectiveness.
Ramaphosa's commitment to allocating more resources to fight GBV has been seen as a positive step towards addressing the scourge. However, some stakeholders have expressed concerns that the implementation of the national strategy may be hampered by a lack of resources. The president has emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to combat GBV, involving government departments, civil society, and the private sector.
The fight against GBV requires a sustained effort and commitment from all stakeholders. Ramaphosa's announcement has raised expectations that the government will take concrete steps to address the scourge. The effectiveness of the national strategy will depend on its implementation and the commitment of resources to support it. The president's plan has been seen as a critical step towards addressing the severity of GBV in South Africa.
Key points
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed to allocating more resources to fight gender-based violence in South Africa.
- The national strategy to address GBV includes a four-point plan to tackle the scourge.
- The implementation of the strategy will be monitored and evaluated to ensure its effectiveness.
