Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Priscilla Isaacs MPL – DA Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson of Gender |
| Date: 28 August 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| The DA welcomes the tabling of the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the Northern Cape. However, the plan itself, as presented to the legislature portfolio committee yesterday, is cold and clinical and lacks the necessary depth to sufficiently address the safety and the psycho-social wellness of victims and survivors of GBV.While we support the implementation of this National Strategic Plan and the establishment of a multi-sectoral approach to fighting the scourge of vicious attacks on vulnerable members of society, there is much room for the plan to be further humanised.There remains a large gap between the fragmented departmental plans that the Office of the Premier seeks to integrate with the gathering of efficient data, but with figures indicating a drastic increase in complaints of Gender Based Violence (GBV) reported in the Northern Cape over the last six months, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for greater levels of physical and psychosocial care of victims to accompany plans to curb this scourge of violence.The Department of Health needs to incorporate and zoom in on providing our nurses with forensic and psychology skills to be able to administer effective support while not only attending to rape victims, but all GBV casualties too.The lack of Thuthuzela Centres in the province are worrisome, and even more so, safe houses as victims sometimes experience secondary trauma when having to return home where they initially felt unsafe, to continue life as normal. Being frontline service providers, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Services and SAPS needs to prioritise the safety of victims instead of treating them as overnight visitors at trauma and casualty rooms, when they should be attended to at long term rehabilitation centres that can assist them to become survivors.It is evident that our provincial departmental sectors need to zoom in on dealing with GBV effectively, and not act as if communities only need basic nursing, basic education, or basic policing in order to address the scourge of these heinous crimes against our women and children.The gigantic gap that demands psychological support for victims needs to be filled as a matter of priority to avoid further damage to the psychosocial wellbeing of vulnerable communities. Victims are not mere statistical numbers. They cannot just be counted and then sent back into society, unhealed and psychologically, untreated.We need to create safe environments, provide more care and greater psycho-social support for victims, and insist on swift law enforced action for South Africa to win battles in the war against GBV. |
Related posts