Premier

The Department of Social Development (DSD) is the custodian of the GBV Strategy and Implementation Plan, and is the lead department in the implementation of initiatives designed to combat GBV.

I am thus informed by the Department of Social Development that:

1. DSD has given specific focus on the rural areas in the roll-out of GBV services, and has opened 6 GBV shelters in such areas. All 6 are co-authorised for accommodations of trafficked victims.  These shelters are located as follows:

o          West Coast x 2

o          Overberg x 1

o          Central Karoo x 1

o          Garden Route x 2

The DSD funds a total of 26 shelters across the province, as well as 21 service organisations.

The DSD is also responsible for maintaining 9 Thutuzela Care Centres, which are one-stop centres where victims receive psycho-social support, healthcare, and legal assistance. These facilities represent an important step in ensuring that evidence is collected following incidences of GBV, which in turn assists in obtaining the conviction of rapists and other perpetrators of sexual crimes.

The DSD has also launched the GBV Ambassador Programme. These Programmes are operating in the areas listed below, where they assist victims in communities and ensure their correct referral for services. This initiative allows the WCG to combat GBV at a grassroots level, and to involve communities in mobilising against the scourge of GBV. GBV ambassadors are currently at work in the following areas: 

• Swartland
• Delft
• Grabouw
• Philippi
• Heinz Park
• Ceres
• Central Karoo district
• Cape Metro North (Dunoon, Bishop Lavis, Langa, Elsies River, and Fisantekraal)
• Berg River
• Metro South (Manenberg, Mitchells Plain, Heideveld, Wynberg, Lavender Hill, Philippi, Steenberg, Retreat, and Gugulethu)
• Metro East (Kraaifontein, Khayelitsha, Eerste River, Mfuleni, and Somerset West)
• Cape Winelands and Overberg regions (Bonnievale, Ashton, Robertson, McGregor, and Zolani)
• Klein Karoo (Oudtshoorn, Ladismith, Calitzdorp, Dysselsdorp, and Zoar)
• Matzikama
• Cederberg
• Mossel Bay

The Western Cape Government has also continued to employ a whole of government approach to GBV, with efforts made to ensure a transversal approach to the issue across departments. As an example, DSD has embarked on an annual geo mapping of GBV across the Province to guide roll-out of resources to areas with the highest rates of prevalence.  The data related to geo mapping has been made available to all Western Cape Government Departments.  As an example, the traffic department has identified GBV hotspots, received training in the identification of victims of trafficking, and over the festive season will monitor these hotspots with a special focus on identifying victims of trafficking during traffic stops.

Another example of the impact of the strategy beyond the services of DSD is in social housing.  Victims of trafficking and GBV have been added as a special category to receive assistance with social housing.

2. According to DSD’s analysis, the utilisation of GBV related services before and after the Strategy has indicated that victims are much more aware of services that are available to them.  Since the focused work on GBV as it relates to the strategy and the Whole of Government approach, currently over 25 000 victims are accessing GBV related services – roughly 47% more than in 2000. 

According to monitoring by the European Union, the Western Cape Government leads the way in terms of responding to GBV. The Western Cape is, as of February 2025, the only province that has given a department the mandate to co-ordinate a GBV response across government. The result is that, as of February 2025, the Western Cape stood at 100% of its target in terms of dedicating resources to fight GBV, and 98% in terms of dedicating facilities in reference to criteria set out by the national Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. By contrast, other provinces’ achievement rates for these same criteria at the same time stood at 45%-85% and 26% to 86% respectively.

GBV is a serious issue, but as can be seen from the above information, the Western Cape Government is serious about proactively responding to this crisis and assisting survivors in every way possible. We encourage anyone who has been a victim of GBV or know someone who may be suffering abuse to make contact with the DSD by calling 0800 220 250 (toll free), sending an email to sd.customercare@westerncape.gov.za, or visiting www.westerncape.gov.za/social-development/service/victim-empowerment-programme.