Police fail to serve 1 in 4 protection orders in under two months

21 June 2017

Today, a presentation by the Civilian Secretariat for Police on compliance with the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) revealed that the police fail to serve 1 in 4 protection orders in under two months.

This is simply unacceptable especially considering the unacceptably high level of violence against women in our country. The DA believes that under the ANC, National Government has directly failed in the protection of victims of domestic violence.

For an abused partner or relative, anything more than a few days can literally mean the difference between life and death, making two months of neglect a horrendous finding.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has claimed that he will reduce the shockingly high levels of violence in our society, yet this astonishing fact goes to show just how little is being done to ensure the safety of those threatened with violence.

I will therefore write to Minister Mbalula to demand that he release the list of the worst performing stations and that he and the station commanders be summoned to account to the Police Portfolio Committee.

A protection order, issued in terms of the DVA, should be served as soon as is possible and provides for immediate remedies in crisis situations. Any delay may place the life and safety of the person seeking protection at risk.

These remedies include prohibiting a person from entering a shared house, entering the complainant’s house and entering the complainant’s work place. The court may also issue an order to seize any arm or dangerous weapon in the possession or under the control of the respondent and order the respondent to pay emergency monetary relief.

The whole reason for these critical remedies is defeated if the police only perform the interdicting order on the abuser more than two months later. It also places victims of domestic abuse in danger of not being adequately protected by the justice system.

It is high time that Minister Mbalula put his money where his mouth is and answer why these unacceptably high delays exist in the serving of protection orders.

Issued by Zakhele Mbhele, DA Shadow Minister of Police, 21 June 2017