KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MR ZANE DANGOR, AT THE VICTIM EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT, BIRCHWOOD HOTEL 19 JUNE 2008
Programme Director,
Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Dr Jonathan Lucas
Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of South Africa, Ambassador Lodewijk Briët,
Acting Deputy Director-General, Ms Conny Nxumalo
Esteemed guests,
Ladies and gentlemen
Introduction
Ladies and Gentlemen, I convey to you warm and hearty greetings from the Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya and Deputy Minister of Social Development, Dr Jean Swanson-Jacobs. In the same vein let me extend an apology on behalf of the two political principals who could not be with us here today due to other pressing commitments.
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Victim Empowerment Programme which was launched in August 1998 under the pillar of the National Crime Prevention Strategy. From the point of view of government it is an appropriate time to pause and take stock. At the same time, it is fitting that in the process we consult with our stakeholders to elicit the suggestions and recommendations to improve our performance in this area. Unfortunately, the celebrations of this anniversary have been overshadowed by the recent xenophobic attacks of fellow Africans which have resulted in displacement and victimization of women and children.
This summit is a build up to the national conference that will be held in August to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Victim Empowerment Programme. More importantly, the objective of this summit is to strengthen partnerships with civil society at all spheres to ensure the provision of adequate and responsive services to victims of crime and violence. This is in recognition of the fact that we cannot achieve the objectives of the programme through government actions alone. It is only through a strong partnership between government, civil society, business, labour and all sectors of our society that we can collectively address this issue.
For this reason, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the organisers of this important summit for inviting us all to share practical ways of improving and coordinating services in the sector. The aim of the Victim Empowerment Programme is to develop, monitor and facilitate implementation of the integrated victim empowerment policies and services in partnership with civil society. Guided by the Constitution and the Victims’ Charter, the emphasis of the programme is on prevention of victimization, providing support, protecting and empowerment of victims of crime and violence with a special focus on vulnerable groups such as women, children, older persons and people with disabilities.
As I was preparing this speech, I was disturbed by reports of shocking stories of abuse of primary school boys in Venda. At the same time, I was encouraged by the prompt response of the local community-based organization that rendered services to the victims and their families. Incidents of this nature are an indication that for us to effectively address this phenomenon, we need to intensify our prevention programmes and community mobilizations strategies. This reminds me of the ‘Boy Child Marketing Campaign’ launched by Childline to create awareness about the vulnerability of the boy-child to abuse and violence.
We need to strengthen programmes of this nature at community level to ensure the provision of prevention and early intervention services. I emphasise again, that while government has a critical role it cannot eradicate this problem on its own because issues of violence against women and children occur within the private domain. As delegates here today, we carry the expectations of the victims of violence and abuse who will be waiting with optimism the outcomes and resolutions of this conference. They expect practical solutions that will bring their suffering to an end and prevent the suffering of many others.
Legislative Imperatives
The government is committed to ensuring a better life for all, free from violence, especially against women and children. To this effect, government has prioritised combating crimes against women, such as domestic violence, rape, assault and child abuse by introducing programmes through the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster Departments which include an Anti-Rape Strategy, an Interdepartmental Domestic Violence Programme, and a Victim Empowerment Programme.
This commitment is informed by the constitutional obligations and international instruments. In addition, government has passed a number of progressive legislations to ensure that the constitutional right to protection, equality, human dignity, privacy and freedom, as well as security for each person in this country is realized. To name just a few: the Children’s Amendment Act No.38 of 2005, the Children’s Amendment Act No. 41 of 2007 and the Domestic Violence Act No. 116 of 1998. International instruments include the Beijing Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Department’s response and achievements
The prevention of violence against vulnerable groups such as women, children, people with disabilities and older persons, is one of our priorities. As the lead department for government’s Victim Empowerment Programme, the Department is working together with other departments notably, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the National Prosecuting Authority, Department of Correctional Services, Department of Health and South African Police Services.
Programme Director, there has been significant progress since the launch of the programme in 1998. I would like to mention just a few. In the same year the programme was launched, there were only four VEP services throughout the country. Today the number has been increased to 68. In 2003 the Shelter Strategy for victims of violence and crime was launched and Cabinet approved the Service Charter for Victims of Crime in 2004.
The Victim Empowerment Support Centres are now operational in most police stations. Sexual Offences Courts, as well as Family Courts dealing with cases of maintenance, children and domestic violence have been established. In addition the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit have been established within the National Prosecuting Authority as well as the Thuthuzela Centres that provide one-stop services. I am informed that tomorrow the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development will be launching Guidelines on Domestic Violence for the Judiciary. We applaud this move as it will ensure effective prosecution of offenders and the protection of victims of domestic violence.
Despite these milestones Ladies and Gentlemen, there is still a number of challenges that we need to address. I am more concerned when I look at the provincial distribution of the shelters for victims of crime and violence, more especially in the provinces that are predominantly poor and rural. There are few shelters in Mpumalanga province, and the situation is the same as for Limpopo and North West provinces respectively. Given the high level of crime and violence in our country, this situation need immediate attention.
The situation calls for greater partnerships, not only with civil society but with development agencies as well. In this regard, we have extended our long standing partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, an implementing partner for the Victim Empowerment Programme. In particular, I would like to express gratitude to the European Commission for bolstering our programme and services through the Programme of Assistance to the Victim Empowerment Programme. We also have partnership with UNODC through the Kemoja- I’m fine without drugs campaign. Substance abuse is one of the contributing factors to crime and violence and the spread of HIV and AIDS. It is therefore appropriate that we have extended our partnership with UNODC to include the victim empowerment programme.
The partnership is centered on the establishment of One Stop Centres for Victims of Crime and Violence to ensure that the victims receive services from a multi-disciplinary team to prevent secondary victimization. To date, four One Stop Centers have been established in four provinces as a result of the partnership. The partnership will also boost the human resource capacity at provincial level, enhance the skills and knowledge of personnel and improve the overall management of the programme.
Ladies and Gentlemen, over the years we have used the 16 Days of No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign to highlight issues relating to abuse and violence against women and children. While this campaign has succeeded in placing these issues on the national agenda, violence against women and children still remain a challenge to this day. The deliberations of this conference should assist us to turn the campaign into a programme that can be implemented and monitored throughout the year. To this effect, we have commenced with the review of the Shelter Strategy to align it with the Victims Charter. In addition we will finalise guidelines on services related to human trafficking and domestic violence as well as the strategy for the engagement of men and boys in the prevention of gender-based violence.
Funding and quality of services
Programme Director, the existing victim empowerment programmes are under-funded and their coverage is very limited. For this reason, we must look at innovative ways of empowering victims of crime and violence such as enrollment in Expanded Public Works Programme and other skills development programmes. To improve service delivery, a service provider has been appointed to conduct a national survey on domestic violence with the view to inform policy and practice.
Inadequate funding, coupled with the lack of monitoring and evaluation system remains one of the biggest challenges that continue to undermine our efforts in this field. Civil society plays a crucial link in the provision of services to victims of crime and violence. To date 26 NGOs were assessed for possible funding through the Criminal Assets Recovery Account Funds. Of this number, 19 NGOs were funded in the 2007/8 financial year and funds will be transferred to 4 other NGOs this year. We should enhance our efforts and make necessary resource allocation to the sector.
You all know that prevention of violence against vulnerable groups such as women, children, people with disabilities and older persons, is one of the priorities of the Department of Social Development. However, this should not be seen in isolation, but rather within the broader context as a response to the increasing demand for developmental social services. Hence the implementation of the Recruitment and Retention Strategy for Social Workers and other social service professionals such as Social Auxiliary Workers and Child and Youth Care Workers.
Ladies and gentlemen as you all know, the effective implementation of the Victim Empowerment Programme is highly dependent on a well-functioning VEP Management Forums at all levels. More importantly, we need to strengthen Community Policing Forums to play an active role in combating gender-based violence in our communities.
Programme Director; let me take this opportunity to thank the members of the Interdepartmental Committee for moving decisively and swiftly in finalising the National Implementation Plan for the Service Charter for Victims of Crime. The plan affirms existing rights afforded to victims of crime as enshrined in the Constitution, the pieces Sexual Offences Act and other pieces of legislation.
Conclusion
As we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Victim Empowerment Programme, there is a need to rededicate ourselves to the course we undertook. What we need now is to translate the current policy and legislative provisions into effective action. It is imperative that we find practical and innovative ways of delivering on our commitments for if we were to continue to do ‘business as usual’, we may not have much to report in 2015.
I therefore call on every one of you, individually and collectively to stem the tide against the abuse of women and children, and bring to an end the scourge of violence and crime that threaten our country. And this is possible if all stakeholders and resources are committed wholly. The celebration of the 10th Anniversary will mean nothing unless the outcomes of this conference touch the lives of victims of violence and crime.
I am looking forward to your deliberations and am delighted to declare this summit officially open
I thank you
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