Government Sets Aside R13 Billion to Tackle Gender-Based Violence in South Africa, Citizens Unimpressed

• National Treasury has put forward R13 billion to end the plight of gender-based violence raging on in the country
• Day two of the Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide got underway in Midrand on Wednesday, 2 November
• Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities minister in presidency said the government has also increased care centres

JOHANNESBURG - At least R13 billion has been set aside by National Treasury to tackle the plight of gender-based violence in the country.

The Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in Midrand began on Tuesday, 1 November and is held under the theme “Accountability. Acceleration and Amplification, NOW!”

The Treasury’s Ishmail Mamoniat said there are programmes put in place to make changes, but they are not adequately funded. He said the money that is spent on programmes is not enough given the scale of the problem, according to SABC News.

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Mamoniat said another issue regarding gender-based violence is the capability of the state. Meanwhile, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Maite Nkoana-Mashabane also addressed the government’s approach to GBV in the country.

She said a new system would be introduced that would allow authorities to do fingerprint checks across different databases. It will be used to assist police find alleged criminals faster.

Nkoana-Mashabana said the government has also increased care centres available to assist abuse victims and signed a policy framework with the Department of Basic Education to deal with issues surrounding GBV and the LGBTI+ community.

According to EWN, the government encourages women not to stay in toxic relationships because they are financially dependent on men. The minister added that the government had prioritised the creation of women in all government programmes.

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Citizens react to the summit:

@RodsTheB said:

“This is ridiculous, another form of looting.”

@GladTmz commented:

“Why is the goal giving politicians more money to loot than to send a strong warning to abusers through court actions.... we don’t need government social workers; we need justice and strict laws that will hit abusers the same way they hit our people.”

@lappashando added:

“Commission of Gender Equality is failing us, failing a GBV Epidemic.”

SAPS reduced DNA backlog by nearly 30%, clearing 170 000 cases, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported Police Minister Bheki Cele announced on Monday, 31 October, that the South African Police Services (SAPS) reduced the DNA backlog by nearly 30%.

Cele claimed that the backlog resulted from administrative issues and one testing center being overwhelmed with DNA evidence.

The backlog has hampered many court cases which require DNA evidence from proceeding and derailed the government’s response to gender-based violence cases, Cele said.

Source: Briefly News