DA and Gauteng community safety MEC in donation tiff
The department insists it received R30k and the DA claims it was R30-million, only the tabling of the annual report will resolve it.
Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane. Picture: Soweto Urban
DA Gauteng Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) Kate Lorimer is slamming Gauteng Department of Community Safety’s ineptitude in failing to utilise a generous donation from a German-based automaker to fight the scourge of violence against women.
In the war of words that has erupted, MEC of community of safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane says the statement by Lorimer is concerning and should be rejected with contempt, as the department has only received R30 000 in 2016.
Lorimer, speaking to The Citizen, said while she appreciates the “R30-million” donation, she has a major problem with the donation not being adequately utilised against the backdrop of gender based violence problem in the country.
Busaphi Nxumalo, Nkosi-Malobane’s spokesperson, accused Lorimer of distorting the facts and misleading the public about the actual amount, and what it has been used for. She also said the work it funded is currently continuing.
“It was R30 000 in October 2016. Our annual report will show, once it is tabled in the legislature, that the money was used for skills developed at IKhaya Le Themba, and the centre gives regular reports and is audited,” Nxumalo said.
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Ikhaya Le Themba is a 24/7 victim empowerment center, managed by the provincial government and based in Gauteng. It offers comprehensive services such as counselling, medicolegal services, legal support services and residential shelter services to victims of domestic and gender based violence of all ages.
Lorimer insists that the department is obfuscating the actual amount “received for a good cause” and failing to spend it on projects that will add value towards the reduction of incidents of gender based violence in the country.
“I have been proposing a pilot project on integrated electronic domestic violent tracking systems which will track serial abusers. It can also track victims of abuse, so that when they report to stations they can be prioritised.
“You can also track protection orders and ensure that they are enforced by checking if a victim has been issued with one when they report cases. Police stations operate independently and are not able to access this information”, Lorimer added.
The MPL says with technology, this tracking device could take a form of an app which is extremely necessary in a country where majority of women are killed by the same perpetrator by “detecting them earlier before they kill”.
The Citizen will share exactly how much the donation was once we have gathered all the necessary information.
http://https://www.citizen.co.za/opinion/opinion-columns/csi-in-2013/
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