Cape Town - It is envisaged that Thuthuzela Care Centres could become spaces where victims of violent sexual crimes, witnesses to such crimes and first responders could testify during court proceedings so as to see more successful prosecutions.
The future aspiration was shared as the new Thuthuzela Care Centre was officially inaugurated at the Mitchells Plain Hospital, on Monday.
The site became operational on July 8.
Thuthuzela Care Centres are considered “one-stop facilities” with a victim-centric approach aimed at reducing secondary victimisation and building a case ready for successful prosecution and for improved conviction rate.
Around 65 centres have been established across the country.
Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Andries Nel, and National Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Shamila Batohi were present, joining members of the community, health fraternity, and religious leaders and activists, and various stakeholders and key partners and donors.
Rape cases can be reported directly to a centre based at community clinics or hospitals, making it easier for victims to lodge a police complaint without fear of reproach and further victimisation at the police stations.
Batohi said in terms of addressing the scourge and “pandemic” of gender-based violence: “We cannot say we don’t have the resources and I know the challenges, but it’s about better managing our resources so that we put it where the priorities lie… This is a presidential prerogative, we’ve got to make sure we have the funds.
“We know that the TCCs (Thuthuzela Care Centre) are impactful because by providing better quality of services, we do find that there is improved reporting.”
In 2020/21, when there were 60 TCCs, there were just short of 30 000 cases reported.
In 2022/23, there were 36 800 cases, representing an increase 24.3% in a two-year period.
For the past eight years, TCCs have dealt with 266 593 across all of its sites.
Batohi said they’ve also noted an improvement in conviction rates.
While the courts were increasingly imposing longer sentences, this was not making an impact on the scourge of gender-based violence, Batohi said.
Nel welcomed the opening of the facility, where previously survivors of gender-based violence in Mitchells Plain would have to travel to the Heideveld TCC to access these services.
This was especially difficult to get to at night due to distance and cost involved.
“But the reality is, there is a social and economic foundation to these problems which we are not going to solve without a broader socio-economic transformation of our country, of our communities but also the active involvement of each and every citizen.”
Caroline Peters of the Callas Foundation, representing the community policing forum, said: “It shouldn’t be an excitement that we’re opening another Thuthuzela Care Centre, we should be hanging our heads in shame. However, for me as a first responder, I am encouraged when I see the services.”