MINISTER SISISI TOLASHE CONDUCTS SITE VISIT AT BOTSHABELO CRISIS CENTRE IN NORTH-WEST

By Nonhlakanipho Masola

• Ministerial oversight in action: Minister Sisisi Tolashe conducted a site visit to Botshabelo Crisis Centre as part of Department of Social Development’s (DSD) ongoing outreach to strengthen service delivery and accountability at community level.
• The department has invested R3.9 million over the past five financial years to ensure the centre continues providing critical services to victims of crime and violence.
• The centre combines trauma support, temporary accommodation, and prevention programmes for children, while creating local employment and serving more than 17 villages.

Minister of Social Development, Ms Sisisi Tolashe, has continued her Ministerial Outreach Programme in the North-West Province with a site visit to the Botshabelo Crisis Centre in the Bojanala District Municipality. The visit forms part of the Minister’s second week of engagements on the ground, aimed at strengthening oversight, engaging communities, and monitoring the delivery of services to vulnerable groups within the Moses Kotane Local Municipality.
During the visit, the Minister assessed operations at the Botshabelo Crisis Centre, a Department of Social Development (DSD)-funded facility located at the Mogwase Police Station. The centre plays a critical role in providing support services to victims of crime, abuse, and violence within the surrounding communities.
Established in 1999 as a state-run facility, Botshabelo Crisis Centre initially operated under government management. However, due to resource constraints, including limited staffing capacity to provide 24-hour care, reliance on community volunteers, the absence of an approved organogram, and a lack of a dedicated infrastructure maintenance budget, a strategic decision was taken to transition the centre into a registered Non-Profit Organisation (NPO).
The centre currently provides basic and trauma counselling services, facilitates referrals to relevant service providers, and conducts community education on victims’ rights, the Domestic Violence Act, and the Victims’ Charter. It also offers short-term overnight accommodation, including meals, refreshments, and essential toiletries, to victims in crisis. In addition, the centre implements advocacy and prevention programmes aimed at addressing gender-based violence, while ensuring the safety, dignity, and privacy of all beneficiaries.
Through its operations, the NPO has created eight employment opportunities, comprising one manager, one social worker, one cleaner, and five victim supporters, contributing to both social support and local economic development.
Botshabelo Crisis Centre has received funding from the Department of Social Development since the 2014/15 financial year. Over the past five financial years, the department has invested a total of R3.9 million in the centre, enabling it to sustain essential services for some of the most vulnerable members of the Mogwase community.
Project Manager Ms Lesego Ledwaba explained that beneficiaries are accommodated at the centre for a period ranging from three to seven days, depending on the severity of each case, after which clients are referred to appropriate service providers for continued support.
She further highlighted the centre’s strong focus on prevention programmes targeting primary school learners. These initiatives promote positive life choices and aim to steer children away from crime and harmful behaviours. As part of this intervention, learners are exposed to the realities and consequences of criminal activity through educational visits to Correctional Services facilities.
Ms Ledwaba noted that one of the centre’s main challenges is its responsibility to serve more than 17 villages within the area. Despite these pressures, she expressed her appreciation for the Minister’s visit, describing it as an honour and a source of encouragement for staff and volunteers.
She also expressed her gratitude for the continued funding support from the Department of Social Development, which has enabled the centre to deliver consistent care and support to the Mogwase community. She reaffirmed the centre’s commitment to strengthening its services and remaining responsive to community needs.
Addressing officials during the visit, Minister Tolashe expressed appreciation to the Director-General for ensuring that programmes are taken directly to communities. She noted that such engagements are essential, as the core mandate of social workers is to be present on the ground where services are needed most.
The Minister highlighted that although relevant policies have been established, attention should now be directed toward ensuring their effective implementation for the tangible benefit of local communities. She further noted that conducting site visits offers substantial insights, enabling officials to observe directly the conditions encountered by service providers and beneficiaries, rather than depending exclusively on written reports.
Concluding the visit, Minister Tolashe commended the work being done at the Botshabelo Crisis Centre and reaffirmed the department’s commitment to supporting the organisation in its efforts to protect and restore the dignity of victims of crime and violence.