Sona 2023: Officials withholding funding meant for victims are ‘the biggest abusers’

An activist helping abused women in Venda, Limpopo, claims that those in charge at various government levels are sitting on funding meant for those affected by gender-based violence, and won’t disburse resources because they are abusers themselves.

Activist Rinae Singani said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday will be nothing but “talk and promises again”, while women seeking help continue to suffer, especially in rural communities.

‘We want funding, not speeches’

Sengani said Ramaphosa will keep mentioning the fight against GBV until he leaves office, while he is well aware that activists and NGOs are desperate for funding.

“We do not want to hear the President’s speech. Tomorrow he will mention GBV and how perpetrators must be punished until the last day of his term. We’re on the ground and we need resources to fight this growing problem.”

She added that most activists like herself and NGOs attended the Presidential GBV summit last year to hear what the national government had to say, and plead for funding.

“We know that our programs are in place and more effective than what national government does or tries to implement. All we need is funding only to do the work on the ground because we are closer to the actual cases in communities. Hence if someone gets killed, before MEC arrives it’s us who work in communities being called by families first to come help,” she said.

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She criticised departments of social development and that of women for returning unspent budgets meant for abused women back to the national Treasury.

“How are millions of rands going back to Treasury before the end of the financial year when we have women needing help, and children not going to school because they don’t have birth certificates? We need money, we need resources.”

Singani believes there may be a rather sinister reason for the lack of funding for anti-GBV efforts.

“Hear me when I say people responsible for funding GBV are the biggest abusers. How are they to fund us when they know a person like Rinae is one of the loudest critics in Limpopo?

“Because they know that once we get the resources, we will be all over the province unearthing them as abusers and helping victims. I am saying that without any contradiction.”

GBV Council yet to be established

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane last year tabled the Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill that emanated from a national GBV strategy adopted after the first presidential summit in 2018.

Once the Bill is adopted, a council would be established to implement the strategy meant to curb GBV.

In his foreword printed in the strategy document, Ramaphosa said he hoped that the council – complete with a CEO, chairperson and a board – would be established by the end of 2020.

But Nkoana-Mashabane only introduced the Bill on 29 November last year, according to parliamentary notes.

The second presidential GBV summit was held on 1-2 November in Midrand, indicating that the Bill went before Parliament after the second summit.

Questions on the status of the GBV council and on funding were sent to Shalen Gajadhar, head of communications at Nkoana-Mashabane’s department on Monday, and are yet to be replied to.

“The team is committed to workshops, meetings and travel. We will submit a response,” Gajadhar said in a text on Tuesday.

Sengani said activists were tired of speeches and Bills, calling on leaders of government to go see what GBV victims actually look like.

“We don’t need speeches in front of cameras and in boardrooms. We actually need those in charge to come and view the bodies that we bury because of the violence against women.

“They must come witness how the body of a woman who had just been brutally stabbed to death looks like to the naked eye, and not only when it’s already inside the coffin.”

GBV cases struck off the roll

The Western Cape department of community safety in December last year said it recorded 64 GBV cases struck off the roll in courts within three months.

The department said its Court Watch Briefs (CWB) unit monitored 208 cases across the province last year.

“Of the 208 cases, 64 are GBV-related, while the other 144 matters, amongst others, include murder, aggravated robbery, possession and dealing in drugs and possession of firearms and ammunition.

“Pertaining to the 64 GBV cases, 32 cases were withdrawn as the dockets were not at the court, while 29 cases were withdrawn due to an incomplete investigation,” read the department’s report that was since handed to the police management.

However, another activist, Heidi Schütte said processes in courts were sped up following a 100-day challenge to tackle problems in specific areas.

“There were a lot of crimes that took place but only 11 % of cases went through. We took on response time – from the first walk-in to the end of the case – a lot of cases were dropped because of many reasons such as insufficient evidence, lack of information from police and delays, dockets misfiled and so on.

“Victims feel threatened while the bureaucracy is taking too long, so they drop the cases. So for the 100-day challenge, everyone involved – rape crisis centre, NPA, police, social workers and communities- came together and through the 100 days and improved processes by 400%,” she said.

The 100-day challenge took place in Welkom, Free State, said Schütte.

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Dead Limpopo woman suffered years of abuse

Last week, The Citizen reported how Lindelani Nengovhela, aged 33, was killed just a day after she withdrew a domestic violence case against her husband.

Nengovhela’s body was found in a pit toilet in their home in Venda, Limpopo. The husband was arrested after he called the police, claiming he had found his wife dead after a frantic search for her.

Sengani said she had helped Nengovhela get a restraining order and open a case against her husband.

She is pleading with National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to stop allowing the withdrawal of GBV cases.

“I knew her very well. I attended her funeral on Saturday. I started helping her before I even knew who her abuser was a long time ago. I Helped her open a case and the husband was arrested.

“Unfortunately, she did not serve her husband with the protection orders, so they were not valid. There are instances in the past when she went and pleaded for help through the media, opened cases and went back and withdrew them.”

“He had several cases before the court, apart from the recent domestic violence one. Hence I say NPA shouldn’t allow the withdrawal of GBV cases, especially for an accused like him who was charged several times before.”

Help needed from village chiefs

Sengani, who lost a friend after she was murdered by her boyfriend, said chiefs heading villages could lend a helping hand by allocating land to women who want to leave their violent relationships.

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“We lack community engagements by chiefs. GBV happens more in rural areas than in cities. I believe weekend meetings held by chiefs should be where GBV complaints are tackled. There are many women who want to leave abusive relationships but need help.

“Some had saved money and can buy iron sheets and cement to erect a shack, but don’t have the R20 000 to buy a stand. So, chiefs should help.

“I mean, if you were born and bred in that village and married there, you should be given a stand to start over. There is enough land available in rural areas. Chiefs can’t expect unemployed women running away from violent homes to have lots of money to purchase land,” she said.