What are we getting wrong?
We have legislation in place, now we have to change people’s behaviour.
What about the police and criminal justice system? Isn’t that also where things need to change?
Even before that, it has to change in families. These atrocities occur within families. It’s an ex-husband, a current husband, an uncle and so on who are doing this. We’ve got to start there and prevent these things.
What about changing the fact that when women are being attacked and call the police they’re told there are no police vehicles, so the police can’t come?
Remember, it’s only 2% of women that will report GBV to the police.
Is that surprising, when those who try to report are treated so badly?
It’s a lot that requires to be done, I agree. Institutions of government should come to the party. It’s an inclusive thing.
An all-of-government thing?
Government, private sector, civil society, everybody needs to play their role.
Would government play its role better if there was more co-ordination between police, criminal justice and social development — and isn’t this your role?
It is the role of our department that we co-ordinate departments, and that is what we are doing. That is why we now have specialised courts for issues related to rape and so on.
Why aren’t there enough specialised prosecutors, interpreters, clerks, magistrates for these courts?
Definitely there will not be enough because there aren’t enough for other cases, and these things are competing. We have issues of corruption, and we need specialised courts to deal with that. But we’re not far from trying to do what we need to do.
Don’t the stats suggest we’re a long way from doing what we need to do?
Definitely. That is why we have the National Council on GBV Act, that will talk to all these issues. We’re going to have a board that will look at these issues and advise and monitor and look at whether our actions are having any impact
Meanwhile, victims of GBV struggle to get protection orders in time to avoid being raped again or murdered?
I agree. Even if they do get protection orders, their abusers will continue to overlook those protection orders and still violate and beat and kill them. And sometimes they’ll know that they may or may not be arrested.
Another instance of the police not doing enough to protect victims of GBV?
I think they may not be doing enough because of the many competing crimes that are happening.
The president has called GBV our second pandemic. Doesn’t this mean it should be prioritised?
I agree, but to treat it as a pandemic requires resources. The real pandemic we had was very much resourced.
What is the key lesson from defeating Covid we should apply to GBV?
Being resourced, and everyone being briefed and informed.
In other words, co-ordination?
Exactly.
So why hasn’t the interministerial committee on GBV been sitting?
We have a new administration, and it has not been established yet.
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