Here’s a list of 30 hotspot areas linked to GBV

Cyril Ramaphosa, announcing a shift from Level 2 to Level 1, highlighted a plan that identified 30 hotspots to be tackled in an attempt to curb GBV. According to the president, government identified the 30 hotspots where the problems relating to GBV were most rife.

Providing details to plans to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide at 30 identified hotspot areas, Police Minister Bheki Cele said GBV was a societal illness which needed to be tackled with all hands on deck.

The minister tabled a list of 30 hotspot areas which police had put together based on research done over a period. Cele stressed that the list did not mean GBV cases were only limited to the identified hotspot areas and that it was important for citizens to note the areas of concern.

Here’s the list below:

Cele noted Ramaphosa’s pronouncement around GBV in that it was still rife under lockdown. This meant the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBV continued.

The list to the 30 hotspot areas was compiled based on nine key variables, including the number of reported cases to police during the 2019/2020 financial year. This included rape, human trafficking for sexual offences, kidnapping, sexual offences and cases related to human trafficking.

Domestic violence including cases of murder, rape and attempted murder were considered in compiling the list.

The hotspot list also included eight other cases related to domestic violence and gender-based violence.

“As a prevention measure, the SAPS will also continue to have a sustained public awareness and community-based campaigns at the identified areas on GBV.

“All police stations in those identified areas are expected to have a permanent desk dedicated to GBV. This will go a long way in ensuring victims of gender crimes are responded to by trained officers in a professional way,” Cele said.

He maintained that a medium- to long-term goal was to address the GBV case backlog as well as probing cold cases.

Police will continue to strengthen their response in combatting GBV by capacitating the FCS specialised unit that handles all GBV and femicide cases.

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