The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has red-flagged low-security standards at some safe shelters across the country and raised further concern about the vetting of security personnel.
“The issue of security at shelters is a very sensitive and serious one that we have picked up. Inspections were done and this starts at the gate where people are supposed to be welcomed so that we see how people are treated.
We engaged with security guards, their use of language was shocking, very discouraging, and upsetting.
“It informed us that these people who are supposed to safeguard survivors of gender-based violence are not properly vetted.
How they demean and degrade women in particular, who are accommodated in the shelters is very problematic. They look at the survivors (as) potential sexual partners meaning there is a risk of them committing sexual harassment or further committing secondary victimisation by raping the survivors because they are not properly vetted or re-vetted.
“We need people who have an in-depth understanding of how to handle children and women who suffered heinous offences,” said CGE CEO Dr Dennis Matotoka.
He also noted that some security guards at facilities don’t have protective equipment, they rely on pepper spray, making an example of an alleged incident in Mpumalanga where armed perpetrators entered with guns.
Matotoka revealed this to the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure on Tuesday.
He was responding to questions from EFF MP Annacleta Mathapelo Siwisa and committee chairperson Nolitha Ntobongwana after he presented The State of Shelters in South Africa report.
This comes as the CGE is pushing for the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and Department of Social Development (DSD) to hasten the pace of renovating buildings for shelters and ensuring they operate.
According to the report, DPWI provided that during the 2021/2022 financial year, 54 buildings in provinces were identified as suitable for shelters. Six properties in Gauteng and in the Western Cape were renovated with lease agreements being finalised.
In a 2022/2023 progress update, some of the identified properties were still being renovated while others were completed and ready for the formal handover.
Ntobongwana raised concerns about the delays due to interaction between departments.
The Western Cape Department of Social Development said it was a requirement that all private security services be registered with PSIRA and were subject to various clearances and vetting processes.
“The Department currently funds 26 shelters in the province, which are managed by various NPOs, who are experts in the field. The operational management by NPOs includes recruitment of suitable staff, such as security personnel. The number and type of security interventions are determined by the risk level of a particular shelter. The victim empowerment programme monitors compliance with service delivery norms and standards,” said department spokesperson Esther Lewis.
National Shelter Movement of South Africa spokesperson Mariam Mangera said the security challenges at shelters necessitates a multifaceted approach.
“There is an urgent need for increased and sustained funding, preferably in the form of general funding grants rather than narrowly focused programmatic funding. The allocation of resources, especially for security measures, must be more comprehensive to ensure the safety of shelter residents. Closer collaboration between shelters and law enforcement, particularly the SAPS, is imperative. This involves improving response times and establishing a dedicated liaison to enhance communication and coordination.
“To address the lack of shelters in rural areas and the threat of closure faced by existing shelters, a nuanced approach is required. This involves repurposing unused government buildings, ensuring adequate funding for renovations, and mitigating provincial level challenges that hinder the establishment and maintenance of shelters,” said Mangera.
Cape Times