PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE APPLAUDS NATIONAL GBV COMMAND CENTRE

• The parliamentary portfolio committee on social development has witnessed firsthand the essential role played by the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre in Pretoria.
• The command centre serves as a crucial lifeline, empowering victims through psychosocial support to help them rebuild their lives.
• The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre toll-free number is 0800 428 428.

The parliamentary portfolio committee on social development praised the Department of Social Development’s Gender-Based Violence Command Centre in Pretoria during an oversight visit to assess operations, service delivery, and the impact on victims of gender-based violence across South Africa.

Hosted by the Department of Social Development’s Deputy Director-General, Siza Magangoe, along with national and provincial department officials, the visit allowed committee members to witness firsthand the essential role played by the command centre.

Magangoe emphasised the department’s commitment to combating gender-based violence, highlighting that when the president declared gender-based violence a national pandemic, the department responded decisively by launching the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre.

The centre has won several awards for its role in fighting the scourge.

Gender-based violence remains an ongoing crisis in South Africa, and the command centre serves as a crucial lifeline, empowering victims through psychosocial support to help them rebuild their lives.

Chairperson of the portfolio committee Bridget Staff Masango, during her opening remarks, reaffirmed the committee’s dedication to monitoring, improving, and adequately resourcing this vital service

She stressed that the visit was not just about oversight but also about identifying areas where policy and resource interventions could enhance the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre’s effectiveness.

Technology-drive operations

During the visit, the centre’s officials provided a comprehensive briefing on its operations, technological capabilities, and quality assurance measures.

The centre’s technology-driven approach, which enables tracking and documenting cases through a Customer Relationship Management system, was described as the “heart of the command centre”.

A senior official noted that the success of the centre hinges on three key pillars: people, technology, and processes.

“If you have those three right, you have a well-oiled machine, and that’s what we are striving for here,” he explained, underscoring the centre’s mission to provide consistent, coordinated, and timely support to victims.

The Department of Social Development is mandated to lead victim empowerment programmes and ensure strong partnerships within the justice, crime prevention, and security cluster, as well as with civil society organisations.

The portfolio committee commended the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre team for their dedication, professionalism, and innovative approach, with some members describing the centre as a “gem” and an “eye-opening” example of victim empowerment in action.

A centre run by trained social workers

What distinguishes the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre from similar call centres is that the department’s command centre staff are all professional, trained social workers.

The visit, however, also highlighted key challenges, including the centre’s high call volumes, which range between 800 and 1 000 calls per day.

This overwhelming demand places immense pressure on social workers, leading to compassion fatigue and burnout.

Sbusiso Malope, from the Department of Social Development’s Victim Empowerment Programme, stressed the need for structured debriefing and mental health support for frontline responders.

Social workers regularly deal with distressing cases, making ongoing psychosocial support critical to sustaining the workforce, he explained.

Despite recent operational disruptions due to changes in service providers, the portfolio committee was encouraged by plans to improve and strengthen the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre’s services.

Exciting innovations, such as mobile technology that enables victim location tracking and dispatching the nearest support services, were particularly well received.

Detailing key developments that are in place, the department’s Bathembu Futshane highlighted the importance of collaboration, and explained how the Integrated Justice System’s technologies will play a pivotal role in the centre’s transformation in the near future, noting that the use of advanced technology ensures real-time response and tracking of perpetrators and that the geo-mapping innovation was highly commended for its role in locating victims.

Suggestions to strengthen the command centre

1. Members of the committee gave recommendations for strengthening the command centre’s impact:
2. Strengthening collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS). The command centre must be fully integrated with the criminal justice system. The SAPS involvement is crucial for faster case handling, evidence gathering, and victim protection.
3. Expanding accessibility for people with disabilities. Video call services were praised as a crucial accessibility tool, but more outreach is needed in rural areas.
4. A call for networks to come on board for a zero-rate Gender-Based Violence Command Centre website, ensuring victims can access help without data costs.

Leveraging the Integrated Justice System for faster responses. The seamless data sharing between the command centre, SAPS, courts, and social services would:

•       Speed up arrests of gender-based violence offenders.
•       Ensure cases do not fall through the cracks in the legal system.
•       Improve evidence tracking and court processes.

The portfolio committee reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre remains a beacon of hope for victims of gender-based violence and praised the tireless efforts of the command centre team, emphasising that their work is not just essential but lifesaving.

A call to action was made to ensure that all necessary resources, partnerships, and technological advancements – especially the integration of SAPS, non-profit organisations, and the Integrated Justice System – are fully leveraged to strengthen and expand this vital service.

A LIFELINE FOR VICTIMS

The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre operates 24/7 as a toll-free emergency response centre, offering:

•       Immediate psychosocial support from professional social workers.
•       Crisis intervention and referrals to shelters, legal aid, and support services.
•       Real-time call tracking and coordination with law enforcement agencies.

The toll-free number is 0800 428 428.