Limpopo Department of Social Development’s mismanagement and inadequate funding is negatively impacting the province’s Victim Empowerment Centres (VEC) and Victim Empowerment Programmes (VEP).
VECs play a central role in the prevention of domestic violence, the provision of victim empowerment programmes, counselling services and provision of shelter for victims of abuse.
The province has struggled with numerous issues with regards to VEPs. Over 500 VEPs did not receive their funding in the 1st and 2nd quarter of the financial year due to misallocation of funds and payment is said to take place to centres latest by early September.
Most VECs lack sufficient accommodation space as well as resources such as beds, computers, etc and suffer from staff shortages. They also depend largely on donations to operate.
There is also insufficient space in most VECs to provide support to male victims. Due to limited resources, victims are also transported in vans from the South African Police Service (SAPS), putting victims through more trauma.
Other VECs are not funded at all. Seshego Victim Empowerment Centre for example is not funded by the department. This is despite it operating from Seshego police station that ranked in the top 30 stations nationally for sexual and rape offences.
The department has also failed to play an oversight role and ensure quality assurance in the VECs and VEPs across the province. Support, training and interventions must be provided when the department notes any issues.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been advocating for increased resources to assist in the eradication of GBV, the assistance of victims of domestic violence and for the effective management of VECs.
Although there has been an increase in the budget for VECs from R10.9 million in the previous financial year to R13.5 million for the current year, it is clear that far more funding is needed to run effective programmes.
As Women’s Month comes to an end, we call on MEC for Social Development, Nkakareng Rakgoale, to further increase funding to VECs and VEPs in order to ensure much needed resources to assist victims of gender-based violence.
The DA believes these centres need more support to fulfil their functions and in order for the department to achieve one of its apex priorities of social cohesion and safe communities.