Restoring dignity of GBV victims: NDPP Shamila Batohi and Vodacom re-launch Kabokweni Themba Thuthuzela Care Centre
National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), advocate Shamila Batohi and the chief executive officer of Vodacom South Africa, Sitho Mdlalose, have officially re-launched the KaBokweni Themba Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) in Mpumalanga.
The Thuthuzela Care Centre was officially opened in 2008 at the Themba Hospital and is currently operational. The Kabokweni Themba Thuthuzela Care Centre serves a vast jurisdiction, characterised by a high rate of crime, especially gender-based violence and femicide, in areas such as Masoyi, KaNyamazane and White River. The criminal cases are handled by various courts, including the high court.
The National Prosecuting Authority in Mpumalanga said Thuthuzela Care Centres are one-stop facilities established by the NPA, which provide pre-trial services, psychosocial support, medical treatment, and legal services on-site, aimed at reducing secondary victimisation and building a case which is ready for successful prosecution in court.
“The Thuthuzela Care Centre process ensures that service providers are available to gender-based violence (GBV) survivors in various locations and the model has been internationally recognised as a best practice for the provision of services to victims of gender-based violence,” said Monica Nyuswa, Mpumalanga spokesperson for the NPA.
Speaking at the re-launch, NDPP Batohi said South Africa is doing extensive work to arrest the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide.
“There is an incredible amount of work being done to address the national gender-based violence and femicide crisis, both here in KaBokweni and across the country. But statistics show that barely 10% of victims receive justice.
“As much as we are committed to delivering justice for victims of gender-based violence and femicide, we cannot prosecute ourselves out of this crisis. Gender-based violence and femicide is not a problem that the criminal justice system can solve. We need a whole of society approach,” said Batohi.
She added that findings show that generally, the focus on gender-based violence has been on the crimes, and very rarely on the gender norms that enable women’s subordination and suppression in various communities.
“Very limited attention is paid to the various social and cultural practices that promote the treatment of women as objects of violence and abuse. These are therefore areas where a lot more work must be undertaken to really make an impact. We have to target interventions proactively to make sure that our children are not violated, and our girls and women are not subjected to these abuses,” she said.
“Notwithstanding, together with key partners, we are determined, and will work tirelessly, to ensure that victims and survivors receive justice and are properly supported in this process. Failure is not an option; the future of the next generations demand that we continue to fight the good fight.”
On the other hand, on behalf of Vodacom, Mdlalose said as the statistics on gender-based violence continue to make headlines in the country, the telecoms giant remains steadfast in its pledge to end this societal ill.
Vodacom has donated towards the re-accommodation of the KaBokweni Themba Thuthuzela Care Centre into a new, fit for purpose modular structure, including refurbishment as part of its contribution in the fight to tackle gender-based violence in South Africa.
Mdlalose explained that the new Thuthuzela Care Centre at Themba Hospital, addresses a need to provide gender-based violence survivors in under-served areas with a safe, private space, increased access to medical, psychological, and legal services.
"Our partnership with the NPA forms part of our comprehensive gender-based violence ecosystem approach, working together with government and non-government organisations to invest in initiatives that prevent and respond to GBV while empowering those affected,” he said.
“Through technology-driven solutions and public-private partnerships, we aim to expand our gender-based violence ecosystem across all sectors of South Africa to enable sustainable, far-reaching impact in overcoming this pervasive societal issue. Our ongoing efforts affirm our commitment to driving inclusion for all as we achieve our purpose to connect everyone to a better future.”
Owing to this model's success, the National Prosecuting Authority said it has partnered with the private sector to establish more Thuthuzela Care Centres and rapidly increase its footprint in South Africa as part of the strategy to fight the gender-based violence scourge.
The model allows victims to access to a dedicated State advocate, responsible for the prosecutor-guided investigation of a case, a victim assistant officer, a forensic nurse/doctor to assist during the examination, a specialised police officer, and a social worker to provide counselling services to the victims.
Additional services to address the needs of the victim and comfort as part of restoring the dignity of the victim are also provided.
There are several referral services from Kabokweni Themba Thuthuzela Care Centre, for prevention and early intervention services to the Department of Social Development and non-governmental organisations rendering services at Kabokweni and surrounding areas.
Countrywide, the NPA said there are 65 Thuthuzela Care Centres, six in Mpumalanga, which are all located in public hospitals in various districts, namely, Kaboweni Themba, Nelspruit Rob Ferreira, Tonga, Ermelo, Evander, and Emalahleni/Witbank Thuthuzela Care Centres.
The NPA stressed that it recognises the significant impact that gender-based violence has on South African communities, families, and individuals. The prosecuting authority the scourge is a collective challenge which requires the active involvement of all stakeholders including government, non-governmental organisations, law enforcement authorities, and community members.
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