Premier

The Departments of the Premier, Social Development, Health & Wellness and the Department of Education informed me as follows:

(a)(i) The WCG Framework for the Implementation of the Human Rights of Priority Groups in the Western Cape, as approved by Cabinet in 2017 guides all departments to implement, promote and protect equal rights when executing their respective departmental mandates.

The Human Rights Unit in the Department of the Premier guides departments by facilitating a mainstreaming approach across Western Cape Government (WCG) departments, including 

• Planning, convening and facilitating the quarterly Transversal Human Rights Forum meetings, an implementation support structure to guide, engage, direct and support WCG Departmental representatives (advocates in Departments);
• Operationalising a mainstreaming approach through the Human Rights Forum;
• Developing an outline for Departmental Implementation Plans;
• Assessing Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing (GRPMMEA) reports for alignment and good practices and addressing any gaps or concerns with their Departments through their respective Human Rights Forum representatives; and
• Analysing the assessment reports on draft Departmental Strategic and Annual Performance Plans to advise Departments on ways to improve their departmental planning to be more inclusive.

 (a)(ii) In response to the launching of the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide, it was agreed at the first extended Cabinet on Gender-Based Violence, held on 25 August 2020 to develop a Provincial GBV Implementation Plan. This Plan was adopted by the Provincial Wellbeing Manco on 1 September 2021. Subsequent to that a revised activity schedule to the plan was approved.

The Western Cape GBV Implementation Plan aims to:

• Assist the WCG with its planning, implementing, coordinating and monitoring of all efforts that aim to address GBV, directly and indirectly;
• Strengthen collaboration between the WCG, National and external stakeholders in the GBV sector;
• Reinforce current GBV services and interventions but also explore new opportunities;
• Create opportunities for future evidence based GBV interventions within but also, across WCG departments; and
• Coordinate approaches in the delivery of services aimed at mitigating and addressing the impact of GBV and its drivers in the Province.

Each Department identified activities under each pillar of the NSP and reports quarterly on progress made. The GBV Implementation Plan was reviewed in October 2024 and is in the process of being approved. Significant progress has been made in collaborative efforts to address GBV in the Orovince, including:

• Establishment of additional 6 rural shelters;
• The launch of two new Thuthuzela care centres;
• Referral pathway for persons that needs to obtain a protection order;
• Victim support rooms in 3 hotspots has been upgraded;
• Provision of space for LGBTQIA+ victims at our accredited shelter, as well as  the establishment a specific shelter for LGBTQIA+ victims and male victims in general;
• Accreditation of 5 GBV shelters to be utilised by Trafficked persons;
• GEO mapping of the prevalence of GBV across the Province;
• The establishment of a Violence Prevention Unit (VPU) in the Department of Health and Wellness to follow an evidence-based approach to address societal factors that influences violent behaviour and GBV; and
• The GBV Ambassador programme, which has launched in 8 municipalities across the Province. It should be noted that the European Union has measured all nine provinces in terms of the implementation of the National GBV strategy, and has found that the Western Cape is currently outperforming all other Provinces in terms of implementation.

The Western Cape Department of Social Development leads and participates in many intersectoral mechanisms to address victim support services. This includes the quarterly VEP Provincial, Regional and Local Forums and attendance at external stakeholders’ engagements such as the Trafficking in Persons Task Team (quarterly) and the Gender Justice Forum (bi-monthly). On these platforms, critical role players are present including SAPS, the Department of Justice, the National Prosecuting Authority,  the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Civil Society, and academia.

In Education, some curriculum interventions include:

• • GBV, for example, is addressed in the curriculum from Grade 4 – 12, so that we can educate learners from an early age that abuse is unacceptable. The WCED worked with Google to develop the Online Safety Curriculum which is deemed crucial as learners are spending much of their time on the internet and social media – both for learning and for entertainment. In some cases, social media is the gateway to GBV. 
  • The focus of Health Promotion in Life Orientation in the Foundation Phase (Grades R to 3) includes personal safety, to enable children to avoid situations where they might be sexually abused.
  • The curriculum for the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6) recognizes that children are becoming increasing aware of their sexuality and provides guidance on the associated risks.
  • Life Orientation in Grade 7, at the start of the Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9) provides sex education.
  • Life orientation in the FET phase (Grades 10 to 12) includes discussions regarding sexuality.

(a)(iii) To promote the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly in upholding the dignity of children, the youth, older persons, persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTQI+ community, the Western Cape Government has done the following:

• Universal access has been addressed at certain shelters that makes shelter services accessible for persons with disabilities;
• The Older Persons Act in terms of elderly abuse is actively managed in the province and the GBV ambassadors have been trained on how to report on elder abuse and abuse of persons with disabilities;
• Certain shelters and arrangements for emergency beds in Old Age Homes have been provided to address the need for abused older persons; and
• Bed space has been made available for the accommodation of abused persons with LGBTQIA+ needs.  A new shelter will be launched in 2025/26 specifically for the needs of male victims of abuse and persons that identify as LGBTQIA+.

The Western Cape Government also promotes the rights of vulnerable groups by implementing legislation aimed at the protection of the rights of vulnerable persons, including but not limited to:

• the Children’s Act, which is primarily implemented by the Department of  Social Development (DSD), the Department of Health and Wellness (DOHW), and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED);
• the appointment of a Children’s Commissioner In terms of the Western Cape Constitution;
• The Older Persons Act, which is primarily implemented by DSD, and also by DOHW
• The White Paper on Persons with Disabilities, which is implemented by DSD, DOHW and WCED.

(b) The GBV plan identifies specific activities per Department that need to be delivered.  Each Department has to quarterly report on these activities.  In addition, the Province developed certain indicators to ascertain the overall implementation of the GBV strategy and to measure certain outcomes, e.g.: