DSD UNITES POLOKWANE COMMUNITIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST GBVF

By Justice Malapane

• Deputy Director-General Siza Magangoe urged communities to strengthen protection for older persons and persons with disabilities, whose experiences of GBVF often go unheard.
• Community representatives raised concrete proposals, including improved access to victim-friendly services, strengthened child protection systems and innovative support solutions such as telemedicine.
• The dialogue formed part of the national 16 Days of Activism campaign and reaffirmed DSD’s commitment to advancing Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, which focuses on response, care, support and healing.

Polokwane, Limpopo Province, 10 December 2025: The Department of Social Development brought together community leaders, civil society partners, older persons, persons with disabilities and local residents for a provincial Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) dialogue feedback session at Bolivia Lodge, reaffirming its commitment to building safer, more inclusive communities.
Addressing participants, the Deputy Director-General for Welfare Services, Ms Siza Magangoe, stressed the urgent need to ensure that national conversations about GBVF do not overlook older persons and persons with disabilities, who often experience violence in silence.
“When we speak of GBVF, we often focus on women and children and forget older persons and persons with disabilities who are also affected but whose voices are not heard,” she said. “This dialogue is a reaffirmation of the Department’s commitment to end GBVF, a national disaster that requires every one of us to act.”
A Call to Unity and Collective Action
The gathering was held under the national theme, “Letsema: Men, Women, Boys and Girls working together to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.”
Letsema, a Sesotho expression meaning voluntary collective work, symbolises unity, shared responsibility and community-driven action. The theme underscored the belief that ending GBVF requires participation from every sector of society, regardless of age, gender, or background.
The session formed part of DSD’s continued engagement with communities across Limpopo following earlier dialogues where residents identified GBVF, child abuse, child malnutrition and deepening poverty as urgent social concerns requiring government’s immediate and coordinated attention.
Community Voices: Strengthening Protection for the Most Vulnerable
Representing the Moletjie Pensioners Association, Mr Hlako Hlahla shared insights on the challenges older persons and persons with disabilities face when trying to access basic services or report GBVF.
He noted that victim-friendly rooms remain limited, privacy at police stations is often insufficient, and essential services such as decent housing are still out of reach for many vulnerable residents.
“Our rights are compromised by many factors,” he said, calling for better support systems, traditional courts to help restore community discipline, stronger child protection mechanisms and the introduction of telemedicine to support older persons in rural areas who cannot easily access clinics.
The Limpopo Disability Forum also raised concerns about the conditional payment of disability grants, particularly the medical assessments required for approval. The Forum appealed to DSD and SASSA to review the existing means test to ensure that systems do not unintentionally disadvantage persons with disabilities.
A National Call to Action
The dialogue took place on the final day of the international 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, which runs annually from 25 November to 10 December. This global campaign highlights violence as a human rights violation and calls on all citizens to take a stand against GBVF.
The Department of Social Development continues to lead implementation of Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, which focuses on response, care, support and healing. Provinces, civil society organisations, law enforcement and communities all play a vital role in ensuring that survivors receive comprehensive support and that early intervention systems are strengthened.
Ms Magangoe encouraged all South Africans to play an active, everyday role in preventing violence by challenging harmful norms and supporting vulnerable groups, including women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
Ending GBVF is not the responsibility of one department or one sector. It is the responsibility of every household, every community, every South African,” she said.
Residents were reminded that GBVF incidents can be reported to the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre at 0800 428 428, via 1207867#, by SMSing “HELP” to 31531, or through Skype at Helpme GBV for assistance from professional social workers.