SEDIBENG.- Positive Flames South Africa, a non-profit organisation (NPO) established by local youth in 2015, is dedicated to addressing the social challenges faced by women and youth in the local communities.
As part of our ongoing efforts, the organisation’s director Abraham Mnguni said that they have made significant progress in combating gender-based violence (GBV) by introducing programmes that are vital and responsive to the needs of GBV victims.
“South Africa remains one of the countries with the highest rates of GBV. Unfortunately, many cases are dismissed by the judiciary because the perpetrators are often breadwinners, or the victims lack the necessary psycho-social support from their families. This lack of support can discourage victims from pursuing their cases further.”
Moreover, Mnguni said, some victims choose to abandon their cases due to the secondary victimisation they experience each time they appear in court.
In response to these challenges, Positive Flames South Africa took a conscious and calculated risk by establishing a Judiciary Support Programme. This program provides free legal advice to victims, along with psycho-social support, including access to transport fees, understanding that many victims lack the financial resources to travel back and forth to court.
“Through this programme, we have successfully reintroduced over 200 cases to the judiciary, with 160 resulting in verdicts favourable to the victims. This success has led to an increased number of cases that we support in Gauteng, North West, and Free State.”
However, due to a lack of funding from the Department of Social Development, Mnguni said that their organisation has had to make the difficult decision to reduce the number of services, service areas, and cases they can prioritise. Therefore, they are in need of donations/sponsorships.
“Currently, we are managing over 1 000 cases, all requiring our assistance. These cases range from domestic violence and sexual abuse to exploitation, with recent incidents including the poisoning of three learners by their stepfather in Evaton West, the tragic killing of two children by their father in Sharpeville, and the case of a foreign woman who burned her partner to death before fleeing the scene. To continue our vital work in improving the lives of GBV victims, we urgently request monetary support from the citizens of South Africa. Your contributions will enable us to continue our passionate work towards creating a GBV-free generation.”
To support the organisation contact them on 061 459 9656/ 071 258 5471, their Head Office is in Evaton West.
