MEC SHINGA CHAMPIONS SURVIVOR SUPPORT WITH OPENING OF ZULULAND’S FIRST GBV SHELTER

By DSD News.

• ⁠MEC Mbali Shinga inaugurated Zululand’s first GBV shelter, closing a long-standing gap in provincial survivor support services.
• ⁠The facility will provide safe accommodation, counselling, legal support, and empowerment programmes to aid recovery and reintegration.
• ⁠Commemorating World Population Day, MEC Shinga encouraged young people to avoid substance abuse and make positive life choices for a more equitable future.

In a pivotal step towards strengthening support for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), MEC for Social Development Ms. Mbali Shinga inaugurated Zululand’s first dedicated shelter. The facility closes a long-standing gap, as Zululand had been the only district in KwaZulu-Natal without such critical infrastructure.
The shelter, named in honour of the late Mrs. Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, former Zululand Mayor and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, will serve as a safe haven for survivors. It will provide comprehensive services including psychological counselling, legal support, and empowerment programmes designed to facilitate healing, recovery, and reintegration into society. MEC Shinga described the centre as a “crucial step forward in providing necessary assistance and resources to those in need.”
The MEC also underscored the importance of commemorating World Population Day alongside this achievement. Addressing community members at Mgazini Community Hall in KwaCeza, she reflected on the year’s theme, “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world.” Her message to young people emphasised the dangers of substance abuse and the importance of making positive life choices.
By aligning the opening of the GBV shelter with World Population Day, the Department of Social Development highlighted its commitment to addressing wider social challenges such as teenage pregnancy, poverty, and gender inequality, which disproportionately affect young women and girls.