Minister Zulu’s failure of GBV victims

27 November 2023

The DA condemns the collapse of the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC), which has assisted countless GBV victims since 2013.

According to reports, the GBVCC in Pretoria is currently not in operation due to a contractual dispute between the Department of Social Development and service provider Brilliant Telecommunication (Brilliantel). But even before this dispute, it seems that the Centre failed in its mandate.

It seems that since the Department of Social Development decided to end its relationship with Vodacom at the end of 2022, and signed the R45 million contract with Brilliantel, GBV victims have been left in the lurch with social workers being fired and no one to take their calls.

Which begs the question, why did Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, decide to end the beneficial partnership with Vodacom when most of its services were free of charge and allowed GBV victims to contact the GBVCC for free.

We will submit written parliamentary questions to Minister Zulu, regarding this, and to determine whether her Department conducted due diligence regarding the call centre operators and adjudication of the tender, as well as the measures she has put in place to assist GBV victims while this chaos is sorted out.

While 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children is inadequate in a country like South Africa where women and children face extreme violence daily, it is shocking that Minister Zulu would so brazenly allow a successful programme to be disrupted without any resolution in sight.

Issued by Bridget Masango, DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, 27 November 2023