COSATU and POPCRU will present their proposals on domestic violence to the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committees on Police and Women today at 10:30am, Wednesday 29 August 2018 at the Old Assembly, Parliament.

Crimes against women and children are a particular stain upon our 24 years of being a democracy.  Despite government and society’s laudable commitments to protect women and children, we have failed miserably as a nation to deal with the scourge and shame of our high levels of violence and other crimes afflicting our most vulnerable citizens.

We have failed to such an extent that most survivors do not report domestic violence, rape or other crimes to the police.  Most reported cases do not result in arrests, prosecutions let alone convictions.  Bail is all too often granted and at ridiculously low levels of a few hundred Rands.  Sentences are pitifully low for the trauma that women and children have gone through at the hands of these barbaric swine.

In effect a hidden war has been declared upon so many of our women and children. If we want to become a nation that Nelson Mandela, Ruth First, Solomon Mahlangu and Albertina Sisulu would be proud of, then we must acknowledge and tackle our hidden demons.  This is not something that can be left to the state alone to fix.

Key challenges relating to domestic violence include:

•       Overhauling SAPS management and deployment,
• Properly training SAPS personnel to deal with violence against women and children,
• Appropriate support for domestic violence and rape survivors in police stations and courts,
• Restraining orders and places of safety for complainants;
• Economic dependence of complainants upon domestic violence perpetrators;
• Need for cultural and generation transformation;
• Role of families, educational and religious institutions, work places, media etc.
• Need to tighten up existing laws to reduce excessive consumption of alcohal, reduce availability of fire arms, reduce bail opportunities for domestic violence perpertrators and increased sentencing for convicted perpetrators.

For more information please contact Cde Matthew Parks COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator

Cell: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za