South Africa's Parliament has announced plans to scrutinize the government's funding for initiatives aimed at preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The Standing Committee on Appropriations, led by chair Mmusi Maimane, will formally invite the Minister of Social Development and engage with the Minister of Police to examine the allocation and effectiveness of funds. This move comes in the wake of the recent discovery of the bodies of nine women in Kempton Park and other parts of Ekurhuleni.
The committee's review will focus on determining whether sufficient funds have been allocated to address gender-based violence and whether the available funding is being utilized effectively. The review will also consider prevention, policing, victim support, prosecution, and community programs. Maimane emphasized the need for assurance about preventive policing and results from the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, adopted in 2020.
The police budget for 2026/27 stands at approximately R127 billion, with a ratio of officers to residents remaining a concern at one to 427. Maimane linked the proposed hearings to the President's classification of gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster. The committee also intends to write to other relevant National Assembly committees to keep gender-based violence and its funding requirements on the parliamentary agenda.
The announcement follows separate statements from Parliament's committees condemning the Ekurhuleni deaths. The deaths and any criminal investigations into them are distinct from the appropriations committee's examination of government funding. The committee has not announced findings on the adequacy of current spending.
The committee's statement sets out planned scrutiny, but it does not specify that either minister has appeared or that a hearing date has been fixed. No date for the ministers' appearances or a deadline for the committee's report was provided in the statement. The review is expected to provide insight into the government's efforts to address the growing concern of gender-based violence in South Africa.
The National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, adopted in 2020, addresses prevention, the criminal justice response, and support for survivors. The plan aims to provide a comprehensive approach to addressing the issue of gender-based violence in South Africa. The committee's review will assess the effectiveness of the plan and the allocation of funds to support its implementation.
The Parliament's announcement highlights the government's commitment to addressing the issue of gender-based violence. The committee's review will provide an opportunity for the government to demonstrate its efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. The outcome of the review is expected to inform future policy decisions and budget allocations.
Key points
- The South African Parliament's appropriations committee will scrutinize the government's funding for initiatives aimed at preventing and responding to gender-based violence.
- The committee will examine the allocation and effectiveness of funds, focusing on prevention, policing, victim support, prosecution, and community programs.
- The review is linked to the President's classification of gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster.
