GBVF Summit: Political red tape blamed for delay in taking action

The Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) takes place at the Gallagher Convention Centre from 1 to 2 November.

The theme of this year’s event is: “Accountability, Acceleration and Amplification, NOW!”

2022 GBVF Summit

The summit will reflect on the work undertaken since the first GBVF summit in November 2018, and tensions were running high.

Participants demanded answers, particularly on why it took so long to implement a GBVF council.

Delay in implementing GBVF council

The summit is facilitated by Eusebius McKaiser who, in no uncertain terms, demanded answers and asked why it took so long to implement a GBVF council.

Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane had a tough time explaining: “We have traversed this route together – as government, as civil society.”

She explained that the request to form a GBVF council had to be “taken to civil society, through to Cabinet. From Cabinet it went through the process and has now gone through parliament”.

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“This is the last leg where it should be. We have walked all the steps we needed to and are now on the last step. Parliament is going to adopt it the way it adopts all bills.”

DNA backlog distrust

McKaiser also said part of him was excited that the DNA backlog was slashed from 241 000 to 71 000. However, he adds: “Another part of me perpetually distrusts police stats”.

He called on Police Minister Bheki Cele to back up the claims that 170 000 cases had been resolved by making available “the raw data and methodology”.

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In addition, McKaiser questioned who should be trusted: Police and their reports, or the activists – because the evidence doesn’t line up and someone is lying.

At this point, a member of the audience stood up, holding a poster which reads: “SapsFailsVictims”.

Cele took the stage and said the raw data could be made available. However, he failed to provide more on that.

Here’s what Cele said instead.