DA requests joint committee meeting on violence against women

22 May 2017

The DA will write to the Chairperson of the Police Portfolio Committee, Francois Beukman, calling on him to invite the Justice and Women Portfolio Committees to hold a Joint Committee meeting to discuss the government’s response to gender-based violence.

The joint meeting is urgently needed to oversee what government policies, strategies and programmes are in place to ensure that women are not the subject of horrific attacks, harassment and violence on the streets of South Africa, where government has failed in this regard to date.

For this purpose, the Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, Justice Minister, Michael Masutha and Women Minister, Susan Shabangu, should all be invited.

Importantly, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, has confirmed that she is currently considering our call for a debate in Parliament of national public importance on violence against women.

This debate will be critical for political direction and oversight, and will go hand in hand with this Joint Committee meeting.

The ANC government has utterly failed in its obligation to make our nation safer for all, and women in particular, by not tackling issues of gender violence and patriarchy.

The DA believes that Parliament must exercise its oversight mandate to ensure that the horrors faced by women and girls like Stasha Arendse, Karabo Mokoena, Courtney Pieters, Popi Qwabe, Bongeka Phungula, Lerato Moloi, Bobuyiselo and thousands of others are not allowed to continue.

The scourge of violence against women is plaguing our country and South Africa needs to stand up in defence of women and say that enough is enough.

Issued by Zakhele Mbhele, DA Shadow Minister of Police, 22 May 2017