Media Station

19 JUNE 2024 – Sibasa Regional Court recently hosted a moot court for students from the University of Venda to educate them on how gender based violence and femicide (GBVF) cases are addressed in the courtroom and how legal processes should be carried out in a survivor-friendly manner.

South Africa celebrates Youth Month in June, and in responding to the many historic and current challenges that our country’s youth face, court teams in Limpopo and Mpumalanga are prioritising youth engagement in their End GBVF 100-Day Challenges. 

Launched in May, court teams set ambitious goals for reducing the backlog and turnaround times for GBVF cases, including sexual offences, domestic violence, divorce and maintenance cases. For this year’s End GBVF 100-Day Challenges, the team from Seshego Magistrate Court is aiming to reduce their backlog of sexual offence cases by 90% in 100 days. The team from Sibasa Regional Court has set a goal to increase the finalisation rate of GBVF cases by 100%.

While the court teams are hard at work implementing new strategies and innovations for reducing the backlog and increasing the finalisation of cases, they are also looking at various outreach and awareness initiatives that educate the public on how the justice system works to provide protection for survivors of GBVF.

Giyani Magistrate Court held a moot court project with three local schools:  Giyani High School, Gija Ngove and Mbhangazeki High Schools. The aim was to demonstrate how cases of sexual offences and harassment are handled by the court. The 36 learners and six educators embarked on a role-play presenting different scenarios of harassment: verbal, psychological and cyberbullying. Each scenario demonstrated the negative impact of bullying in the school environment and concluded with justice being served.

Officials took part in the role-play process, with SAPS staff being included as both the respondent and complainant. This helped to create a realistic and conducive picture of normal court proceedings for the learners. Additionally, learners and educators were led by court officials to holding cells for observation and to gain a better understanding of the court layout. Feedback on the moot court was positive as learners and educators in attendance found it informative and educational.

“Increasing awareness of the justice system among youth plays an important role in empowering them with information that can protect their Rights. It is important that young people feel confident to address GBVF in their communities and they should be able to trust the justice system in swiftly responding to GBVF cases,” shares Sixolile Ngcobo, from the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges support  team. “Outreach activities such as these moot courts play an important role in the progress of each team’s 100-Day Challenge.  Greater understanding and  awareness of how the justice system works can encourage more survivors to come forward and report their cases, trusting the court to handle their case appropriately.”

Another key focus of the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges, which prioritises the wellbeing of youth, is the effort by court teams to reduce the backlog and turnaround times of maintenance cases. When families face delays, it hinders their ability to establish cohesive co-parenting agreements, leaving children in limbo. Therefore the justice system needs to act swiftly in processing and handling court cases for divorce and child maintenance.

“Thorough and efficient resolutions that lead to maintenance agreement among coparents, means improved stability and security for children, faster implementation of necessary financial support, and healthier, more cooperative co-parenting relationships,” shares Ngcobo. “Protecting our children’s rights in divorce and maintenance cases is crucial to avoid the trauma associated with parental separation and to ensure that children receive the upbringing that they deserve.”

The End GBVF 100-Day Challenges in courts across Limpopo and Mpumalanga will continue until August. A second cycle of 100-Day Challenges is scheduled to launch on Women’s Day, 9 August, involving teams from courts, municipalities, and TVET colleges nationwide.

RELEASE DATE: 04 June 2024

Throughout May, court teams in Limpopo and Mpumalanga launched their End GBVF 100-Day Challenges to address gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in their communities. Following a remarkable 2023 campaign that increased the finalisation rate of domestic violence cases from 42% to 78% and reduced the backlog of sexual offence cases by 43%, teams have now set ambitious new goals to build on these results. Teams will be aiming to reduce the backlog of GBV-related cases and enhance case finalisation rates to ensure survivors receive the swift justice they deserve.

For this year’s End GBVF 100-Day Challenge, the team from Seshego Magistrate Court is aiming to reduce their backlog of sexual offence cases by 90% in 100 days. The team from Sibasa Regional Court has set a goal to increase the finalisation rate of GBVF cases by 100%. Senwabarwana Magistrate Court aims to reduce their backlog of domestic violence cases by 70% and Lebowakgomo Court is aiming to reduce their backlog of sexual offences cases by 88%.

“Reducing the backlog and turnaround times for GBV-related cases ensures timely justice for those who have endured unimaginable trauma,” said Jakkie Wessels, Regional Court President in Limpopo. “A swift response to GBVF by our justice system will build public confidence in our courts and encourage more survivors to come forward, knowing their cases will be addressed promptly.”

Looking at some of the achievements in 2023; Nkowankowa Domestic Violence court managed to reduce their backlog by 90% and Lenyenye Domestic Violence Court achieved a 100% case finalisation rate during the 100 days. Many courts also managed to halve the turnaround times to fully process domestic violence cases. Nkowankowa and Waterval courts reduced their turnaround times from 90 days to 30, Thohoyandou reduced their time from 7 weeks to 3 weeks on average, and Senwabarwana increased its case processing rate from 20 cases per week to 40.

To reduce case backlogs and turnaround times, teams are looking at adopting new innovative strategies. Many will be looking at using as much technology as needed in order to host a virtual courtroom. Often cases are delayed when a party does not show up to trial. Allowing defendants and witnesses to attend trials virtually avoids delays and saves transport costs which often is the reason for non-attendance. Other measures that court teams will explore include improved cross-sectoral collaboration with stakeholders such as Legal Aid, SAPS, DSD, Thuthuzela Care Centres, attorneys and local government to create more efficient internal systems for processing cases, and to create a more survivor-friendly court environment.

“The End GBVF 100-Day Challenges exist to accelerate lasting impact in our communities where we will see an enhanced capacity to address GBVF and hopefully a significant decrease in GBVF incidents,” says Sixolile Ngcobo, from the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges implementation team. “The 100-Day Challenges are designed to encourage multisectoral collaboration to localise the National Strategic Plan (NSP) to end gender-based violence and femicide.”

RELEASE DATE: 23 April 2024

Growing the movement to end gender based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa, over 40 Ambassadors are completing a 3.5 day orientation training to facilitate and guide End GBVF 100-Day Challenges in 2024. This group of Ambassadors consists of leaders within the court, municipal and TVET college ecosystems to continue the momentous effort of last year’s 100-Day Challenges campaign. The training started on 16 April and will run until 25 April at Anglo American Centre for Experiential Learning (CEL) in Johannesburg.

In 2023, the finalisation rate of domestic violence protections increased from 42% to 78% during the 100 days, seven new GBVF rapid response teams were established in the Free State, four new GBV hotlines were established in Mossel Bay, frequent dialogue circles were hosted in TVET colleges to address GBV incidents among students, and over 800 youth participated in sporting events with the goal of reducing idle time and risky behaviour that could lead to GBV.

“The End GBVF 100-Day Challenges exist to accelerate lasting impact in our communities where we will see an enhanced capacity to address GBVF and hopefully a significant decrease in GBVF incidents,” says Sixolile Ngcobo, from the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges implementation team. “The 100-Day Challenges are designed to encourage multisectoral collaboration to localise the National Strategic Plan (NSP) to end gender-based violence and femicide.”

Georgia Mosamo from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shares his thoughts, “To be an Ambassador in this year’s programme means that I have the opportunity to impart change where it is really needed. This year we need to be innovative and implement new ideas and strategies to reduce the prevalence of GBVF. According to global statistics, one in three women experience physical violence from their intimate or non-intimate partner. This work will allow us to work towards addressing statistics like this.”

“South Africa is ranked as one of the most violent countries) in the world  (130 our 163 countries according to the Global Peace Index), and through this programme we have the opportunity to address GBV from a grassroots level,” says Thandeka Masilela, Executive Director of the Mpumalanga Mental Health Society and an Ambassador in this years End GBVF 100-Day Challenges.

To further prepare themselves for the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges, Ambassadors are undertaking a 30-Day Challenge as a part of their orientation training. Over the next 30 days they will recruit as many organisations as possible to register for the GBVF Health Check, a self-improvement tool  that enables organisations or institutions to track their progress on GBVF-related behaviours, policies, and practices. The survey will help identify actions to take to improve performance and align with good practices.

Following the orientation training these Ambassadors will start mobilising local leaders to choose impact indicators and 100-Day teams that will include stakeholders from multiple organisations, including NGOs, SAPS, government institutions, traditional leaders, and civil society organisations. The Impact Indicators, selected by local leaders, are directly linked to the pillars of the NSP. 

The End GBVF 100-Day Challenges are supported by the Ford Foundation and endorsed by leaders at the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Department of Higher Education & Technical Training – TVET Colleges, Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, and Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. For the training, Anglo American Centre for Experiential Learning (CEL) provided the venue and accommodation for Ambassadors.

RELEASE DATE: 25 March 2024

In an initiative aimed at rapidly addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), 24 justice sector ambassadors (local 100-Day Challenge facilitators) have undertaken a transformative ’30-Day Challenge’ to create GBVF victim-friendly model courts. This initiative is part of the broader End GBVF 100-Day Challenges, one of South Africa’s most significant action-focused campaigns dedicated to ending GBVF in South Africa.

Supported by the leadership of Regional Court President Jakkie Wessels and Chief Magistrate Cherol Ringane in Limpopo, these ambassadors, comprising magistrates, advocates, public prosecutors, and legal practitioners, together with court personnel embarked on a journey to significantly enhance the court experience for survivors of GBV. The 30-Day challenge forms part of the orientation training for ambassadors, and is designed to immerse them in the ethos of the 100-Day Challenge, which is set to commence in May.

“At the heart of this 30-Day Challenge is the urgent need to create courts that are not only spaces of justice but also sanctuaries of support and empathy for GBV survivors,” says Wessels. “The 30-Day Challenge serves as an accelerated pathway for our ambassadors to experience firsthand the intensity and impact of our collective efforts which can be experienced in the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges.”

Throughout the 30-Day Challenge, ambassadors worked tirelessly to enhance various aspects of the court environment, including creating and implementing a survey to measure customer satisfaction, signage, internal culture, safety and security protocols, waiting room amenities, courtroom proceedings, and post-trauma support and care. Central to their approach was the gathering of feedback from court visitors through surveys, aimed at gauging the effectiveness of their interventions.

In a remarkable display of commitment, Polokwane, Seshego, and Mankweng courts achieved an impressive 78% satisfaction rate among court visitors, surpassing the initial target of 70%. Meanwhile, Mahwelereng, Modimolle, Witbank, and Sekhukhune magistrate courts witnessed a substantial increase in client satisfaction, rising from 45% to 65% over the four-week period.

Notably, courts in Leyenye, Thohoyandou, Makhado, and Vumani have made steady strides towards their ambitious goal of attaining a 90% visitor satisfaction rate, signalling a promising trajectory in their efforts.

Sixolile Ngcobo, from the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges implementation team, emphasised the significance of initiatives like the 30-Day Model Court Challenge in fortifying the justice system’s response to GBVF. “This initiative not only equips our ambassadors for the upcoming 100-Day Challenge but also underscores our commitment to providing swift and effective legal support to GBV survivors,” remarked Ngcobo. “By fostering a heightened level of competency within our court environments, we aim to instil public trust in the justice system and encourage more survivors to come forward.”

Date: 17 October 2023

It’s Day 70 in the 100-Day journey and we have seen teams discover some incredibly valuable insights. Let’s look at some of the themes and lessons that have emerged:

Many of our court teams have adopted virtual technology which has been found to speed up trials by 50%. 

Mediation has also been used as a tool to reduce backlogs and increase turnaround times, by encouraging constructive dialogue that leads to case resolution and faster justice. 

Economic empowerment has also been identified as an important tool to help GBV survivors on their healing journey. Economic empowerment initiatives provide survivors with an increased sense of self-worth, financial independence and the opportunity to overcome trauma.

Sport and recreational activities have also received a lot of attention. Sport provides a platform for young people to engage positively with each other while reducing idle time that could lead to harmful behaviours that perpetuate violence, especially GBVF.

As we continue with our 100-Day journey, let’s show our support for all the teams who are exploring new ways of addressing GBVF and discovering innovations that strengthen our collective response! 

RELEASE DATE: 25 SEPTEMBER 2023

Nineteen courts within the Limpopo province have committed to significantly improve the way in which they process gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) cases in their courts. This effort is a part of a wider national campaign, known as the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges, where multisectoral teams across South Africa take on ambitious challenges to end GBVF in their communities.

When the domestic violence team at Lenyene court started their challenge, they set the goal to reduce the turnaround time of domestic violence cases from 6 to 4 weeks in 100 days. Committing to this goal, the team started exploring ways to increase efficiency within the court system. As a result, the team has managed to completely clear their entire backlog of 102 domestic violence cases.

Nkowankowa court set a goal to reduce the backlog of maintenance cases by 60% from 158 to 95 in 100 days. The team has exceeded this target and reduced its backlog to 33 remaining cases.

This wave of End GBVF 100-Day Challenges started on Women’s Day and are set to run until the “16 Days of Activism against GBV”, giving all teams an opportunity to dive deeper into ending GBVF over this commemorative period.

To achieve these results, many of the Limpopo courts have adopted virtual technology to avoid delaying cases and increase the efficiency of processing individual cases. Through their 100-Day Challenge journey, the divorces team at Polokwane court has learnt that using virtual technology can speed up trials by 50%. Evidence can be shared virtually, and witnesses can give evidence virtually. The advancement of courtroom technology improves access to justice and makes justice more accessible to parties. There is also a reduction in travel expenses for parties, court officials and witnesses.

RELEASE DATE: Monday, 29 August 2023

Limpopo’s justice system is undergoing a significant shift in the way gender-based violence (GBV) related cases are processed in courts. Nineteen courts within the Limpopo province are delving into their current processes and technology toolbox to identify new ways to reduce the turnaround time in processing GBV related cases, including domestic violence protection orders, sexual offences, divorce cases, and maintenance cases. This effort is a part of the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges, a national campaign that challenges frontline teams within the court and municipal ecosystems to develop and implement innovative strategies to address GBVF head on.

Mankweng Magistrates Court in Polokwane is aiming to reduce the backlog of sex offences by 70% in 100 days. In Thulamela, Sibasa Regional Court is aiming to reduce the backlog of sex offences by 63%, bringing the number of cases down from 238 to 88. The team from Lephalale Magistrates Court in Waterberg is aiming to reduce the outstanding roll of sexual offences cases by 80% in 100 days.

“We have over 85 teams that are participating in the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges in 2023,” says Sixolile Ngcobo from the End GBVF 100-Day Challenge implementation team. “While we have our courts exploring new strategies and innovations to reduce the backlog and turnaround times of GBV-related cases, we also have our municipalities aiming to create safer public spaces, improve GBVF reporting systems, and increase the number and speed of service providers for post-crisis support and healing.”

This wave of End GBVF 100-Day Challenges started on Women’s Day and are set to run until the “16 Days of Activism against GBV”, giving all teams an opportunity to dive deeper into ending GBVF over this commemorative period. The End GBVF 100-Day Challenges are also planned for 2024, ensuring that the movement towards addressing GBVF is not only sustained, but also continues to grow, as this is such a crucial social issue to address.

Through implementing virtual technology, Lenyene Magistrates Court in Greater Tzaneen was able to fully mediate and settle a maintenance dispute in less than an hour. “Adopting technology prevents tiresome court postponements and allows for a much more efficient system overall. We will see more courts utilising virtual systems to speed up their processes,” says Jakkie Wessels, Regional Court President in Limpopo.

Previous pilot projects completed between 2020 and 2022 saw some remarkable results. In 11 courts, the backlog of domestic violence protection orders was reduced by 98% in 100 days.

Further to sexual offences, divorce, and maintenance cases; domestic violence is also receiving a lot of attention with participating courts aiming to reduce the turnaround times to finalise cases. Nkowankowa Magistrate Court in Greater Tzaneen set a goal to reduce turnaround time to finalise Domestic violence cases from 8 to 4 weeks and reduce the backlog by 80%. Senwabarwana Magistrate Court in Capricorn aims to reduce turnaround time from 6 weeks to 14 days, and completely reduce the backlog by 100%.

“Reducing the backlog and turnaround times for GBV-related cases ensures timely justice for those who have experienced unimaginable trauma,” says Wessels. “A swift response to GBVF by our justice system will build public confidence in our courts and also encourage more GBVF survivors to come forward and report their cases, knowing that they will be served.”

RELEASE DATE: 10 July 2023

Despite a slight decrease of reported sexual offences in quarter four (January to March 2023), women and children remain most at risk of experiencing violence, harassment, or rape. South Africa continues to have particularly high rates of GBVF, with around 45% of rapes perpetrated against children, according to SAPS statistics. 

“South Africa cannot continue like this; with woman and children living in fear and then not having sufficient crisis response, support and healing services should they experience sexual assault or rape,” says Sixolile Ngcobo, from the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges. “One of our aims for the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges this year is to increase the capacity of service providers in the referral network for crisis response and post-crisis care and healing, and to have more survivors access this support system.”

“Through the 100-Day Challenges in 2023, we could see teams finding innovative ways to adopt technology and new processes to increase the speed at which survivors are assisted.”

In the Western Cape, Garden Route District, the 100-Day Challenge Team in 2022 trialled a new mobile app to speed up the process of reporting child sexual and related offence cases. The app allowed social workers to be assigned to all child sexual and related cases at 1st reporting. The app directly addressed a number of identified system inefficiencies with tracking Form 22, which is used to report child abuse.  Adopting technology like this has the great potential to  improve quality of service delivery to victims, reduced process delays and blockages, improved perpetrator conviction rates, interconnectedness between role-players, thus strengthening efficiency. 

It is important to acknowledge that reporting sexual abuse is a sensitive matter and therefore can be difficult. Many survivors might not be completely sure what happened or how to talk about it therefore, a social worker plays a big role in providing survivors with support and safety during the reporting process. 

“How crisis reporting, and trauma support services react to sexual assault and abuse can have a profound impact on empowering survivors and encouraging other survivors to tell their story. Moreover, survivors need to feel confident in the criminal justice system and reducing barriers to reporting is fundamental to ending GBVF in South Africa,” says Ngcobo.

Making a difference towards addressing GBVF requires a collective effort and cannot be accomplished in a one-dimensional approach. It is an undertaking in which even the smallest action makes a significant contribution, cutting across many social, economic, political, environmental, and cultural factors. 

In scaling the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges this year, teams could look at achieving remarkable results with streamlining departmental reporting processes, adopting technology and trialling various innovations that lead to an overall strengthened GBV response and support system.

RELEASE DATE: June 2023

The recent release of quarter four crime statistics by Minister Bheki Cele has reinforced the urgent need to implement effective strategies to address gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa. For the reporting period (January to March 2023) a total of 10 512 rapes were reported and 969 women were murdered. One of the effective strategies that South Africa will continue to see in 2023 are the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges and this year courts and municipalities will be setting ambitious targets and working collaboratively to address GBVF.

“A 4.35% decrease in sexual offences in quarter four is a shift in the right direction, however with the more than ten thousand rape cases reported, the work done to address GBVF needs to accelerate rapidly,” says Sixolile Ngcobo from the End GBVF Collective. “We are very excited to be working with 45 courts and municipalities who will be starting their 100-Day journey. So far, we have 25 courts and 20 municipalities who have signed up and started preparations for the 100-Day Challenge journey” 

The 100-Day Challenges proved to be a highly effective model to address GBVF within communities in 2021 and 2022. In 11 courts, the backlog of domestic violence protection orders was reduced by 98% in 100 days. By creating safer spaces and repairing streetlights, the team in Frances Baard District managed to reduce reported cases of sexual offences by 45% in two wards. At the end of their 100-Day project, the team in Matjhabeng in the Free State, increased the referral of new GBV cases by 250%, translating to 1092 survivors accessing psychosocial services in a single month. “In 2023 we will be scaling up the 100-Day Challenges and building on these results,” shares Ngcobo.

“The idea behind involving courts in the 100-Day Challenges is to support the justice system in improving the finalisation of GBVF-related cases, reducing backlog of GBVF cases, using technology to speed up processes and improve access to justice, to mention a few. Our realisation is that by involving municipalities, we can identify plans to create safer public spaces, generate a greater level of awareness of GBVF and provide a greater level of support for GBVF survivors including increasing opportunities for economic empowerment ,” adds Ngcobo.

The End GBVF 100-Day Challenges are characterised by ambitious impact goals to address GBVF, intense collaboration between stakeholders, rapid innovation and implementation of the 100-day teams’ work plans, and sustained action to ensure that a new and better way of doing things becomes the new norm. Each 100-Day team will be working on an impact indicator associated with a pillar of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF. The process will be facilitated by local conveners and Ambassadors trained by the programme team on the 100-Day Challenge methods.

“We are very encouraged to see the interest and high energy from the courts and municipalities that have signed up so far,” says Ngcobo. “Starting their 100-Day journey, teams will undergo the End GBVF 100-Day Challenge orientation. The next phase is a leadership design workshop where the local team leaders from the court or municipality will shape the challenge for the team and create an enabling environment to innovate and learn. This approach sets the standard that has led to impressive results that make a big impact towards addressing GBVF.”

RELEASE DATE: 03 May 2023

The End GBVF Collective 100-Day Challenges in 2022 saw seven teams take on very ambitious challenges to address gender-based violence and femicide in their communities. A 98% reduction in the backlog for domestic violence protection orders and 37% increase in reporting rape cases; these are two examples of the impact that the 100-Day Challenges had in 2022. For this year, the End GBVF collective will be launching the 100-Day Challenges in 45 courts and municipalities in South Africa to extend this impact on a local level.

Participating in the 100-Day Challenges, teams set ambitious goals that they need to achieve in 100 days, whether it is reducing the backlog of domestic violence protection orders, increasing the reporting of rape incidents, or embarking on a door-to-door GBV awareness campaign. These were some of the initiatives that resulted in sustained organisational action towards ending GBVF.

The end-GBVF 100-Day Challenges in 2023 will focus on a variety of issues, including improving access and speed and quality of resolution of GBVF-related court cases, prevention of GBV in schools and the workplace, and integrated crisis response and post-crisis care for victims of gender-based violence. 

“In 2022 we piloted the 100-Day Challenges and saw some exciting results and unprecedented levels of collaboration among the organisations involved,” says Sixolile Ngcobo from the End GBVF Collective. “For 2023 we are inviting all courts and municipalities to participate in the 100-Day Challenges to end GBVF. The plan for 2023 is to scale the 100-Days Challenges on a regional and local level.”

Last year teams that participated in the 100-Day Challenges achieved some impressive results. In eleven courts across South Africa the backlog of domestic violence protection orders was reduced by 98%. In Greater Tzaneen, the reporting of rape cases increased by 37% compared to the previous year. The withdrawal of rape cases also dropped by 70%. In Mangaung, the finalisation of maintenance cases increased from 50% to 74%, reducing the backlog by 82%. At the end of the 100-Day Challenge in Bloemfontein, the team and the local leaders were so excited about the results that were achieved that they decided to engage six more courts to do their own 100-Day Challenges. 

“The 100-Day Challenges have proven to be a very effective way to implement the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF with each team focusing on a challenge that falls under one of the NSP’s pillars,” says Ngcobo. “Each team will be made up of court and municipal officials and will have team leaders and ambassadors to monitor progress on their challenge. Teams will also attend various workshops throughout the 100 days to assess progress on their goal and to re-adjust their strategies if necessary.”

The 2023 100-Day Challenges is organised by the End GBVF Collective in support from the Ford Foundation, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the justice sector. Applications are open for municipalities and courts to get help organising their own 100-Day Challenges. 

“If you are a municipal leader, a prosecutor, or a judge, please bring this opportunity to the rest of your leadership team and encourage them to apply,” shares Ngcobo.