Note to Editors: Please see attached soundbite by Eleanore Bouw-Spies MP
The Democratic Alliance has written to the Chairperson of Parliament’s portfolio committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, to call for the Minister to appear and answer for the unacceptable delay in establishing the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
Since the empowering law was signed by President Ramaphosa in May last year, and the Council was empowered to convene from November 2024, there has been no movement to appoint or constitute it. This is a harmful and risky delay from the Minister, in a context of a GBV crisis across South Africa, and the DA strongly condemns the delay.
So far, despite a number of appearances and statements about the Council the Minister has provided no clear timeline as to when the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will be convened to start its work.
Last year the Minister was set to face questions in the National Council of Provinces on constituting the GBVF Council, but at the last minute she cancelled her appearance, and evaded answering the questions the DA was set to ask.
Given the country’s high rate of gender-based violence and femicide, the continued delay in the operationalization of the Council undermines the fight against gender-based violence and highlights the ANC Minister’s lack of commitment to the survivors and victims of GBV.
In a recent briefing to the portfolio committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, the Department gave no clear indication of whether or not the 8 members deemed to be part of the executive board had been appointed or not. The Department, despite numerous questions posed, failed to answer who these 8 members of the executive will be and only alluded that it would be comprised of members who are part of civil society. But no progress was reported.
With the lack of information or clarity from the Department, it is now high time that the Minister appears before the Parliamentary committee to give a full and complete commitment to establish the Council.