MINISTER ZULU TO LAUNCH KHUSELEKA ONE-STOP CENTRE IN MANENBERG, CAPE TOWN

• Just days after the enactment of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill, the Khuseleka One-Stop Centre was launched in Cape Town by Minister Lindiwe Zulu, offering crucial services like trauma counselling, legal assistance, and healthcare to survivors.
• The Centre employs a multisectoral strategy to prevent and break the cycle of violence, integrating support services with skills training and job placement to empower survivors and address the economic dependencies that trap them in abusive relationships.
• This initiative, hosted at the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children, is a key element of the Child Protection Month Campaign, underscoring the ongoing commitment to protect and uplift South African children and families, ensuring a safer and more supportive environment.

Just three days after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the landmark National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill into law, the Minister of Social Development, Ms. Lindiwe Zulu, officially launched the Khuseleka One-Stop Centre at the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children in Manenberg, Cape Town, on Monday, 27 May.

This launch follows Minister Zulu’s oversight visit to the Saartjie Baartman Centre last week to assess the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. The Department of Social Development (DSD) Portfolio is responsible for Pillar 4, which focuses on response, care, support, and healing. This pillar includes the establishment of Khuseleka One-Stop Centres to ensure survivors receive appropriate care and support services as they recover and rebuild their lives.

Khuseleka One-Stop Centre provides lifesaving services to survivors of gender-based violence, such as psychosocial support and trauma counselling, healthcare, police services, legal assistance, placement of children in school, shelter services, and court preparations, among others. The name “Khuseleka” is derived from the Zulu word for protection.

The multisectoral approach at Khuseleka One-Stop Centre is crucial in preventing and breaking the cycle of violence against women and children. In addition to the comprehensive services, the centre provides much-needed skills training and assists with job placement where possible, helping survivors rebuild their lives and escape abuse.

Economic concerns are a major reason survivors remain in abusive relationships, as they often depend on their abusers and lack the means to provide for themselves and their children if they leave. By addressing these concerns, Khuseleka One-Stop Centre plays a vital role in empowering survivors.

The Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children, which hosts the Khuseleka One-Stop Centre, offers psychosocial support, including trauma counselling and court preparation, to help victims and survivors of gender-based violence recover and rebuild their lives.

The launch of the Khuseleka One-Stop Centre is part of this year’s Child Protection Month Campaign, under the theme: “Protecting South Africa’s Children 30 Years On.”