Gender-Based Violence Command Centre wins award

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Pretoria – Barely six months after its launch, the Department of Social Development’s Gender-Based Violence Command Centre has been recognised by the contact centre community.

The Contact Centre Management Group (CCMG), the professional body of the contact centre industry in South Africa, has presented the command centre in Pretoria the Best Technology Innovation Award.

The CCMG rewards excellence in recognition and celebration of the contact centre industry, through its annual awards.

The command centre was launched in March 2014 and provides support and counselling to victims of gender-based violence.

It allows social worker agents to provide telephonic support and counselling to callers and can direct the victim’s case to a social worker close to them. 

The call centre operates through a toll free number: 0800 428 428 (0800 GBV) or callers can request a social worker to contact them by dialling *120*7867# (free from any cell phone).

Integrated technology

Explaining the reason for awarding the command centre with the Best Technology Innovation Award, the CCMG said it represents the first integrated technology of its kind in terms of Social Service Delivery in South Africa and arguably in the developing world. 

“The command centre provides immediate care and counselling and offers help, hope and the chance of a better life to thousands of victims of gender-based abuse, even in the remotest and most underdeveloped corners of South Africa,” said CCMG.

Radical socio-economic transformation

Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said the award gives credence to the department’s on-going efforts to deliver services to those who need them in line with government’s radical socio-economic transformation objective.

“We launched the command centre as part of our service delivery improvement programme aimed at responding quicker, more effectively and innovatively to social challenges in the country, Project Mikondzo.

“To have this award presented to us confirms that we are on the right track and inspires us to work even harder to find inventive ways of responding effectively to the social challenges in the country,” said Minister Dlamini.

The Minister also expressed her appreciation to the organisations who have partnered with the department in making the project a reality.

The Vodacom Foundation sponsored the development of the technology used by the command centre. The resulting integrated solution was developed by Vodacom in collaboration with its subsidiaries Afrigis and Mezzanine. The command centre is hosted by Advance Call. – SAnews.gov.za