Gauteng VECs support more than 63 000 victims of crime and violence

Gauteng’s Victim Empowerment Centres (VECs) reached 63 538 victims of crime and violence during the 2025/26 financial year, exceeding the provincial target by almost 9 000.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development funded 115 VECs during the year, exceeding its target of 108 centres.

The figures were highlighted by Gauteng MEC for Social Development Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko when she tabled the department’s 2025/ 26 Annual Report at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature last week.

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The department’s work forms part of the implementation of Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), which focuses on response, care, support and healing.

“We maintained our support to GBV shelters and funded accredited skills programmes to strengthen the economic independence of survivors,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.

She said the fight against GBVF requires more than immediate intervention and should include sustainable pathways to help survivors regain their independence and rebuild their lives.

“We mean business when it comes to GBVF. We are not just the leading province in providing resources and actively fighting GBVF; we actually exceed our targets.

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“Our approach recognises that protection and economic empowerment must go together. A woman must never be forced by poverty and economic dependence to choose between violence and homelessness.

“A developmental response to GBVF must therefore provide immediate safety while creating the conditions for survivors to rebuild independent and economically secure lives,” she said.

Support for survivors

Through its Victim Empowerment Programme, the department provides survivors and their families with psychosocial support, counselling, referrals and other essential services through VECs, shelters and funded non-profit organisations.

The department also supports shelters providing safe accommodation and comprehensive services to survivors at risk of further violence.

Economic empowerment forms part of the department’s approach to addressing GBVF.

Through accredited skills development programmes and other empowerment initiatives, survivors are given opportunities to improve their employability and financial independence.

The department has also intensified community awareness and outreach programmes focused on GBVF, child abuse, violence against women and children, and other forms of abuse.

The initiatives encourage communities to speak out against violence, report abuse and participate in prevention efforts.

The department said combating GBVF requires a coordinated response involving government departments, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, communities and other stakeholders.

“Strengthening partnerships remains critical to ensuring that survivors receive timely and appropriate services while addressing the underlying factors that contribute to violence,” the department said.