Council to be established to help fight GBV following approval from Cabinet

Cabinet approved the establishment of the national council on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in its efforts to fight gender-based violence.

The National Council on GBVF will report to the President through Minister Nkoana-Mashabane.

The council will drive and oversee the work to stop gender-based violence by mobilising people nationally, provincially and locally to lead and support transformative GBVF interventions.

“It will also be responsible for the implementation of the GBVF-NSP,” said Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu during a post-cabinet media briefing on Thursday.

The cabinet approved the GBVF National Strategic Plan (NSP) in December 2019.

Mthembu said Cabinet directed a team of ministers led by Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, minister in the presidency for women, youth and persons with disabilities, to do further work on the proposed GBVF institutional arrangement to oversee the implementation of the GBVF-NSP.

The cabinet also approved the setting up of an inter-ministerial committee (IMC) comprising of Police Minister Bheki Cele, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, and Minister Nkoana-Mashabane as the convener.

“The IMC has been directed to move expeditiously in formalising the National Council on GBVF. They have further been directed to continue to explore the feasibility of legislating this current institutional arrangement.

“The Commission for Gender Equality will also be expected to continue to regularly assess and monitor progress being made in the implementation of the GBVF-NSP,” said Mthembu.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.