The Gauteng Provincial Government has completed 21 of the 67 directives aimed at strengthening the provincial response to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), with a further 38 underway.
The update, released on Sunday by Premier Panyaza Lesufi, comes approximately 33 days into the 90-day period set by President Cyril Ramaphosa following his address to the nation on 29 September, in which he called for urgent action to address the country’s GBVF crisis.
READ | Four-point plan to aid the GBVF fight
The President issued four directives, including resolving outstanding cases of murder, attempted murder, rape and serious sexual offences against women and children, clearing forensic laboratory backlogs, conducting municipal safety audits in high-risk areas and developing a coordinated plan to reduce alcohol-related violence.
Following an urgent Intergovernmental Relations meeting on 2 October, the Gauteng Provincial Government translated these directives into a Provincial Implementation Plan, adding a fifth priority focused on strengthening places of safety and support services for survivors.
READ | Gauteng moves in the fight against GBVF
According to the provincial government, eight of the 67 directives have not yet started, while four directives that previously recorded no progress have moved into implementation since the mid-October review.
A weekly tracking and reporting system has also been introduced to monitor progress from municipal level through provincial structures to national government.
Case recovery and forensic backlogs
As part of efforts to improve the handling of GBVF cases, the province has recovered crime kits from Thuthuzela Care Centres across all five districts and submitted them to the Forensic Science Laboratory for processing.
Investigating officers are now required to carry crime kits to medical examinations to prevent delays and ensure that forensic evidence is not left behind.
The province is also working to reduce forensic waiting lists, improve compliance with police station intake procedures, recover lost dockets and strengthen the monitoring of missing-persons cases.
Three key deliverables have been finalised in addressing forensic backlogs, including the establishment of an Identification Task Team to conduct a digital fingerprint audit of unidentified women and children.
Priority DNA and forensic samples relating to cases of rape and the murder of women and children have also been secured for focused attention.
Outstanding work includes a forensic backlog baseline assessment, age profiling, costed backlog reduction measures and ring-fencing priority samples, which are targeted for completion by early November.
Municipal safety audits
Progress has also been recorded in municipal safety initiatives, with seven critical municipal tasks completed.
The province reported that Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni were fully compliant with safety standards and were submitting regular progress reports.
In Johannesburg, major risk zones have been mapped, while 10 previously hijacked or illegally occupied buildings have been prepared for public reuse.
In Tshwane, extensive overgrown vegetation surrounding high-risk transit stations has been cleared to improve commuter safety.
Ekurhuleni has completed inspections at all local taxi ranks, identifying broken CCTV systems for repairs.
Municipalities across the West Rand district have also catalogued high-risk structures and neglected public spaces.
Safety audits are between 60% and 80% complete in most municipalities, with local governments entering the final assessment phase.
The provincial government said urgent hazards identified during the audits would be repaired or incorporated into funded action plans within 90 days. Detailed audit results and updates will also be published online to allow public monitoring.
Cracking down on alcohol-related violence
The province has also reported progress in strengthening liquor law enforcement, with three of the eight directives completed and the remaining five being implemented.
Officials have conducted 7322 liquor outlet inspections, resulting in the closure of 20 outlets, the issuing of 459 non-compliance notices and the referral of 566 outlets to the Liquor Inspectorate for further compliance inspections.
A further 41 joint enforcement operations have been conducted with key stakeholders.
The province has also submitted strategic inputs on the proposed Liquor Bill, while specialised warden training is scheduled to begin in early November.
Enforcement operations will continue to target unlicensed liquor outlets, repeat offenders and illegal trading beyond permitted hours.
Strengthening survivor support
The provincial government has identified the strengthening of places of safety and survivor support as an additional priority in its GBVF response.
Gauteng has 18 shelters providing 363 beds and seven Thuthuzela Care Centres, alongside expanded psychosocial support services for survivors.
Psychosocial support services have reached tens of thousands of people over the past six months, while new referral tools have been introduced across all 43 protection-order courts.
Visible policing has also been intensified in high-risk areas, technical issues affecting the e-Panic Button application have been resolved, and integrated CCTV networks have been expanded while protecting survivors’ privacy.
The province is also continuing with men’s programmes, trafficking support initiatives and partnerships with civil society and the private sector.
Despite the progress, the provincial government acknowledged that challenges remain, particularly in addressing forensic backlogs, obtaining outstanding case recovery information and accelerating municipal safety interventions.
“Protecting our women and children is an absolute priority that demands immediate action, as delayed justice is no justice at all,” the provincial government said.
It reiterated its commitment to transparent reporting, improved coordination between provincial and national leadership and translating the interventions into tangible outcomes that protect women and children and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. – SAnews.gov.za
