Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said on Sunday, 1 November, that the province plans to send 1,022 gender-based violence response teams into 122 high-risk areas.
Lesufi said the plan also includes 56 more social workers to help victims and survivors. He was speaking on the province’s response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directives on gender-based violence and femicide.
“Protecting our women and children is an absolute priority that demands immediate action, as delayed justice is no justice at all,” Lesufi said.
The steps form part of a 90-day programme in Gauteng. Lesufi said it targets outstanding rape and murder cases, forensic backlogs and poor safety measures.
The provincial government said it picked out the 10 police stations with the highest numbers of rape cases for extra attention. They include Rietgat, Alexandra, Mamelodi, Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Dobsonville, Midrand and Tembisa.
The province also plans to strengthen seven specialised Sexual Offences Courts and 144 victim-friendly facilities. The aim is to improve how cases involving women and children are handled.
Gauteng’s 19 Medical Legal Clinics are expected to help protect forensic evidence and support criminal investigations, according to the plan.
Lesufi said the province currently has 18 shelters with 363 beds, as well as seven Thuthuzela Care Centres. He said new referral tools have been introduced at all 43 protection-order courts.
He also said police visibility has been stepped up in high-risk areas. Technical problems with the e-Panic Button app have been fixed, and CCTV networks have been expanded.
Lesufi said much of the work is still not done. Of the 67 directives across five priority areas, only 21 have been fully carried out. Another 38 are underway and eight have not started.
The five areas are recovering outstanding criminal cases, clearing forensic backlogs, making public spaces safer for women, tackling alcohol-related violence and giving survivors more support.
“Despite progress noted above, challenges remain, particularly the forensic backlog, outstanding case recovery information, and the need to accelerate municipal safety interventions,” Lesufi said.
The measures follow Ramaphosa’s address on 29 September. In that address, he told authorities to speed up investigations into outstanding cases of murder, attempted murder, rape and serious sexual offences involving women and children.
Lesufi said the provincial government will keep checking on the work through weekly meetings and progress reports.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.