The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) operates under The Department of Social Development. The Centre operates a National, 24hr/7days-a-week Call Centre facility. The facility employs social workers who are responsible for call-taking and call referrals.

The Centre operates an Emergency Line number – 0800 428 428 and is supported by a USSD, “please call me” facility: *120*7867#. Request a Social Worker by dailing this number.

An SMS Based Line 31531 for persons with disabilities (SMS ‘help’ to 31531) also exists. The Centre is able to refer calls directly to SAPS (10111) and field Social Workers who respond to victims of GBV.

A Skype Line ‘Helpme GBV’ for members of the deaf community also exists. (Add ‘Helpme GBV’ to your Skype contacts).

Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, 2022

It has been four (4) years since the Presidential Summit and the adoption of the Presidential Summit Declaration and two years since the National Strategic Plan on Gender- Based Violence and Femicide (NSP GBVF) was signed into effect by the President on 31 April 2020.

It is against this backdrop that President Cyril Ramaphosa has decided to convene the Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide 2 in November 2022, to uphold the principle of accountability, and call those tasked with implementation to account where not enough is being done.

Visit the GBV Summit page to view more information on the 2022 Summit, the 2018 Summit and the Report of the Presidential Summit against Gender-based Violence and Femicide, 2018.

Commencement of enacted GBV amendment legislation

• 5 August 2022 is set as the date on which the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act 2021, (Act No 12 of 2021) GG 47195, RG 11468, P 75, 4 Aug 2022, shall come into operation
• 31 July 2022 is set as the date on which the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Act, 2021 (Act No. 13 of 2021), GG 47105, RG 11463, P 79, 29 Jul 2022, shall come into operation.

New GBV legislation enacted

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law legislation aimed attrengthening efforts to end gender-based violence, with a victim-centred focus on combating this dehumanising pandemic. The President has assented to the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act 12 of 2021, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Act 13 of 2021 and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act 14 of 2021...read more
Dated: 28 Jan 2022

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National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence & Femicide, 2020

The Gender-based Violence and Femicide National Strategic Plan (GBVF-NSP) was produced by the Interim Steering Committee established in April 2019 to respond to the gender-based violence and femicide crisis following the historic 2018 Presidential Summit on this subject. First published in 2020. The purpose is to pProvide a multi-sectoral, coherent strategic policy and programming framework to ensure a coordinated national response to the crisis of gender-based violence and femicide by the government of South Africa and the country as a whole.

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Gender Based Violence Related Speeches:

• Minister Lamola calls on South Africans to safeguard the rights of Vulnerable Persons during the festive break, 13 Dec 2023
• Address by the Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Hon JH Jeffery, MP, at a Justice Service Delivery Imbizo on Gender-Based Violence, held at Delft Civic Centre, Delft, Cape Town, 13 May 2022
• Address by the Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Hon JH Jeffery, MP, at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Community Event, held at the KwaMashu L Community Hall, KwaMashu, KZN, 29 November 2021
• Remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the hand over of the Emergency Response Action Plan and National strategic Plan to combat GBVF, 30 Apr 2020
• Speech by Minister Lamola at the GBV parliamentary debate in Parliament, Cape Town, 18 September 2019
• Address by Deputy Jeffery at the Foundation for Human Rights’ Gender Based Violence Programme’s Capacity Building Workshop, 04 Feb 2019
• Remarks by Minister of Justice, Adv Michael Masutha at the Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, St George Hotel, Irene, Pretoria, November 1, 2018
• Keynote address by the Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Hon John Jeffery, MP, at the 4th African Conference on Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Cape Town, 8 December 2014
• Message of support delivered by Deputy Minister Nel, at the closing ceremony of the 16 Days of Activism for 2012 and the Launch of the National Council Against Gender Based Violence, Ben Marais Hall, Rustenburg, 10 Dec 2012
• Message of support delivered by Deputy Minister Nel, at the closing ceremony of the 16 Days of Activism for 2012 and the Launch of the National Council Against Gender Based Violence, Ben Marais Hall, Rustenburg, 10 Dec 2012
• Address by Mr. Andries Nel, MP, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development at a Conference on: "Africa Sharing Experiences and Solutions on Sexual and Gender Based Violence Management" held in Cape Town from 8 - 10 November 2009

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DoJ&CD Under-The-Tree Dialogues for Men and Boys

The Under-The-Tree Dialogues are a national programme that will be rolled out across South Africa, starting in Nov 2019, with a specific focus on areas that have the highest levels of violence against women and they are aimed at raising awareness at positively changing the attitudes of men and boys towards women.

The dialogues are implemented by government in collaboration with other sectors of society such as faith-based organisations, traditional leadership and civil society formations and are part of the wider 365-day, year-round education, awareness and prevention campaign that government is rolling out in partnership with civil society. Statistics on sexual offences, including rape will be used to identify areas with high incidence that will be accordingly prioritised for the dialogues. The Dialogues are a catalytic intervention designed to kick-start constructive conversations between men and boys. As violence against women is not a problem of women; it is a problem of men. The solution lies in changing the attitudes of men towards women.

For more information on the Under-The-Tree Dialogues, please contact:
Mr. Max Mpuzana
Public Education and Communication
Department of Justice and COnstitutional Development
Tel: 012 357 8084
Email: MMpuzana@justice.gov.za

Human Sciences Research Council released and handed over the First South African National Gender-Based Violence Study, 2022 to Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga on 18 November 2024.

Links

• Pamphlet: Amendments made in 2022 to deal with Gender-Based Violence, 2023 [Afrikaans, isiZulu, Sepedi, Setswana]
• Information: Domestic Violence
  Protection Order: Application for a Domestic Violence Protection Order
• Information: Femicide
• Information: The Kopanong Declaration 2006 - Source: NPA
• Information: National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO)
• Information: Protection from Harassment
  Protection Order: Application for a Protection from Harassment Protection Order, J59 ( Form 2)
• Information: SA Victims Charter
• Information: Sexual Offences
• Information: Trafficking in persons
• List: Health Facilities Providing Clinical Forensic Medicine Services, Apr 2023
• List: Database on Shelters and Crisis Centre Services for Victims of Crime and Violence, May 2022

Audio/Video

Under-reporting cases of GBV a concern, Deputy Minister Nel, SABC News, 10 Dec 2024
Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Andries Nel, says the under-reporting of Gender-Based Violence cases and sexual offences is a cause for concern. Nel has been speaking during an Imbizo held at Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. He also launched the Sexual Offences Court, which provides specialised victim-centric support to victims and reduces secondary victimisation.

Justice Department welcomes Public Protector's Report, POWER Lunch, Power FM, 06 Jun 2024
In view of the seriousness of the allegations, the Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr John Jeffery, requested the Public Protector to investigate the matter and to ascertain whether there was any failure on the part of the court officials to assist Ms Kortje.

Public Protector’s GBV Report and what it means, The Talking Point, SAFM, 06 Jun 2024
On Tuesday this week, Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka briefed the media on her report into the findings of an investigation on the difficulties GBV victims experience when opening cases at magistrates' courts across the country. The other problem is on the police side where she says they are reluctant to register cases and do not inform the victims of their rights to institute criminal action but rather refer victims directly to court to apply for a protection order. This issue indeed has multiple factors which at the end fails victims of gender-based violence, what else can be done then to find workable solutions seeing that the problem persists?
Guest: Adv Brenda Madumise-Pajibo – Director of Wise Collective
Guest: Dr Lesley Ann Foster - Founder and Managing Director of Masimanyane Women's Rights international
Guest: Charles Mohalaba - Deputy-Director General: Court Services at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development

 

View the following on our YouTube Channel:

• GBV Webinar: Domestic Violence Amendment Acts’ Regulations, 20 Oct 2022
• GBV Webinar: Domestic Violence Amendment Acts’ Regulations, 20 Oct 2022
• GBV Webinar: White Paper on Marriages in South Africa, 19 Oct 2022
• GBV Webinar: Vetting of Employees at institution of Higher Learning, 13 Oct 2022.
• GBV Webinar: Accessing Legal Aid SA Services for GBV&F and Related Matters, 12 Oct 2022.
• GBV Webinar: The Biology of Trauma Part 2, 11 Oct 2022.
• GBV Webinar: Epigenetic and Environmental provocation with regards to Teen Perpetration of Violence, Part 2, 27 Sep 2022.
• GBV Webinar: Epigenetics and Ancestral Trauma stimulus within our biology related to repetition and violence, 22 Aug 2022.
• GBV Webinar: Addressing Process Based Challenges in the Implementation of the Maintenance Act towards Maintenance Services Improvement, 13 Sep 2022
• GBV Webinar: Vetting of Employees and the NRSO, 08 Sep 2022.
• GBV Webinar: Customary Marriages and Related Amendments, 06 Sep 2022.
• GBV Webinar: Strategies to Eradicating GBV in Schools, 05 Sep 2022
• GBV Webinar: Services by the Sheriffs in Gender Based Violence & Femicide Cases, 26 Aug 2022.
• GBV Webinar: The 3 GBVF Amendment Acts: Social Context in Domestic Violence, 17 Aug 2022.
• GBV Webinar: Epigenetic, and Environmental Provocation with regards to Teen perpetration of Violence, 16 Aug 2022.
• GBV Webinar: The 3 GBV Amendment Acts: Accountability is Not an Option, 15 Aug 2022.
• GBV Webinar on the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act: Victim-Centred Parole Proceedings, 05 Aug 2022.
• GBV Webinar: Domestic Violence Amendment Act: Prosecution Perspective, 29 Jul 2022
• GBV Webinar: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act and amendments to the NRSO, 27 Jul 2022
• GBV Webinar: Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act: Audiovisual Link Testimony and Use of Intermediaries, 26 Jul 2022
• GBV Webinar: 3 GBV Amendment Acts: Accountability is Not an Option, 26 Jul 2022
• GBV Webinar: 3 GBV Amendment Acts: Simplified: Older persons, 22 Jul 2022
• GBV Webinar: 3 GBV Amendment Acts: Psychosocial Services in GBVF Matters, 22 Jul 2022
• Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act: Amendments on Bail, 22 Jul 2022
• Domestic Violence Amendment Act: Expectations from SAPS Officials, 20 Jul 2022
• Domestic Violence Amendment Act: Overview of changes for Clerks of the Court, 13 Jul 2022
• Domestic Violence Amendment Act: Simplified for All, 13 Jul 2022 [Presentation Notes]
• Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act: Impact of amendments on Intermediary Services, 07 Jul 2022
• 3 GBV Amendment Acts: Aspects of the Amendments, 06 Jul 2022
• Fighting the scourge of Gender Based Violence Community Imbizo, Delft, 13 May 2022
• Fighting the scourge of Gender Based Violence Community Imbizo, Carolina, 05 May 2022
• 5 Days of Remembrance, Nov 2020
  Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) message by Adv Praise Kambula at the 5 Days of Remembrance function held at the Department of Justice's National Office on 27 Nov 2020.

GBVF Webinar Series: Justice, Safety and Protection, Sep-Nov 2020

• 04 Nov 2020, Microsoft Teams. Topic: Regulations relating to Sexual Offences Courts: What changes are they introducing? Speaker: Mr J Jeffery, Deputy, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development
  Follow this link for the video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/aAjSCPZbHJs
• 21 Oct 2020, Microsoft Teams. Topic: From the Bench: ‘The Experiences of Presiding over GBVF cases’. Speakers: Ms Jakkie Wessels, Mr Bruce Langa & Regional Court Presidents.
  Follow this link for the video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/kcQhG1BI0lg
• 07 Oct 2020, Microsoft Teams. Topic: Justice in Conversation on the GBVF Bills. Panel: Ms Jakkie Wessels, Ms Ntombi Matjila and Adv Praise Kambula.
  Follow this link for the video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/7G9xeez02ZI
• 23 Sep 2020, Microsoft Teams. Topic: A victim centric justice system. Speaker: Major General Linda, SAPS (FCS)
  Follow this link for the video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/UhlK-yuAZw0

Ronald Lamola wants the justice system to be stronger when dealing with GBV, Radio 702, 19 Jun 2020.

[Radio 702, Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa, 19 Jun 2020, 13:12 min/mp3]
Follow this link to read the article: https://www.polity.org.za/article/laws-not-enough-to-curb-gbv-buy-in-from-men-boys-are-needed-lamola-2020-06-19

The 5th Annual Tsietsi Mashinini Memorial Lecture, SABC News, 18 Jun 2020
The 5th Annual Tsietsi Mashinini Memorial Lecture focused on defining gender-based violence, its causes and what we as society can do to eliminate it.

The Modise Network | Government's Role in Addressing Gender-Based Violence | Part 2 | 07 September 2019
Deputy Minister of Justice John Jeffery laments the amendment of the Sexual Offenders Register to include all convicted rapists, and those men should hold each other accountable in the fight against femicide. Courtesy #DStv403

Let’s Talk Justice, Season 05, Episode 04: 22 Aug 2019 (Gender Based Violence)

Let’s Talk Justice, Season 05, Episode 03: 15 Aug 2019 (Sexual Offences Courts)

Let’s Talk Justice, Season 05, Episode 02: 08 Aug 2019 (Legal advice for Women)

Let’s Talk Justice, Season 04, Episode 15: 01 Nov 2018 (The Gender Summit)

Let’s Talk Justice, Season 04, Episode 13: 18 Oct 2018 (The role of the Commission of Gender Equality on Crimes of Gender-Based Violence)

Let’s Talk Justice, Season 04, Episode 12: 11 Oct 2018 (The role of the NPA on crimes of Gender-Based Violence)

Let’s Talk Justice, Season 04, Episode 11: 04 Oct 2018 (Gender-Based Violence)

The Final Verdict Series, 24 Sep 2011 (Episode 15 Accomplice to Rape)

The Final Verdict Series, 30 Jul 2011 (Episode 08 Ukuthwala)

The Final Verdict Series, 09 Jul 2011 (Episode 05 Child Abuse and Murder)

The Final Verdict Series, 18 Jun 2011 (Episode 02, Domestic Violence and Self Defence)