Honourable Speaker,

Academics often say that deep-rooted socio-historical legacies have led to the high prevalence of sexual abuse in South Africa. They may be right.
However, at times like this, we must ask ourselves:
Are we doing enough to protect our women, children and people with disabilities?
What is the role each of us can play in preventing rape?
And what is the role of our Government in this regard?
The recent brutal gang-rape of a young mentally-disabled girl in Soweto sent a shockwave through our country. As a nation, we all feel ashamed.

We recently read of the rape and assault of a young disabled boy by a woman and a girl, and the alleged rape of a 19-year-old mentally challenged woman in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape.

When I learned of the 8 year old Grade 2 pupil who landed in hospital after she was raped, throttled and had her eye gouged out, I was shocked to my core.
These are only a few cases that we know of. What about the thousands of other cases that go unreported?

According to Interpol, South Africa is the rape capital of the world with less than 1% of rapes reported to the police.

As a nation, we are failing our women and children. This government is failing our women and children.

Speaker, Minister Xingwana’s department is responsible for promoting, facilitating, co-ordinating and monitoring the realisation of the rights of women, children and people with disabilities.

In these recent cases, children have had their rights stripped from them.
I will no doubt be accused of playing politics with this issue. But I cannot keep quiet about what is so obviously a failure of our government to protect these young people’s right to dignity and security of a person.

After all, Minister, it is your job to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. And it is my job to make sure that you do.

We must ask ourselves; do we really value the rights of vulnerable people in our country? If this is true, why do we still have no compensation for victims of rape, abuse or violence? Why do we still have too few social workers, therapists and clinical psychologists who can do counselling for victims of abuse and their families?

This department spends millions on campaigns and events, which make little impact on the suffering of the most vulnerable South Africans.

Speaker, Minister Xingwana often reiterates that her department is not an implementing agent, that its role is limited to monitoring and co-ordination. That is how she has countered criticism on the under-spending in key programmes in her department, and justified its skewed spending priorities.

The DA has been monitoring the performance of your department closely.
Poor financial management and inappropriate spending priorities have become the defining characteristic of this department.

The department's failure to effectively spend the budgets in its "Rights of Persons with Disabilities" programme is tantamount to a violation of the rights of South Africans with disabilities.

This is why in April the DA requested the South African Human Rights Commission to investigate the failure of the department to realise and protect the rights of people with disabilities.

Speaker, there is an urgent need for this department to take the lead in co-ordinating a multi-pronged approach across government to fight rape and sexual abuse.
Minister Xingwana should take the lead in facilitating co-ordination between key departments, such as Health, Social Development, Education, Justice and Police, and ensure that a comprehensive strategy is developed to address issues facing women, children and people with disabilities.

Proper oversight and co-ordination must also be carried out by your department over the Justice Department in order to strengthen our Criminal Justice System in its protection of vulnerable South Africans.

Minister, if you are serious about monitoring, coordinating and facilitating the empowerment of vulnerable groups, then you need to address the following as a matter of urgency:

The South African Police Service plans to downscale victim friendly facilities, where crime victims, particularly women and children, can be interviewed and counselled in private, and offered support by professional social workers. Minister, you should not allow this to happen as we desperately need these services, especially in rural areas.
You should campaign to reinstate the Family Violence Child abuse and sexual offences units. In the year before these units was disbanded, 66 units dealt with 60 000 cases and made more than 28 000 arrests.
You should campaign for the institution of special rape courts. The DA believes that the establishment of Special Rape Courts would go a long way towards achieving justice for victims of rape.
You should campaign for the reinstatement of the narcotics bureau which was disbanded in 2004.
You should coordinate a programme where young boys and men interrogate the concept of masculinity and reframe their role as men, fathers, husbands, brothers and uncles against a background of protection rather than domination.
Minister,

In the review of your department’s budget and strategic plans at the Appropriations Committee last week, I was worried by weak replies given by officials from your department to questions on your over-expenditure on administration and salaries and your under-spending in key programmes.

It appears as if the national treasury will have to intervene to educate this department on how to spend their budgets.

It appears that your department was not aware of the fact that over-spending in any given year could be recovered from subsequent budgets. If this had to happen in your department it could have further devastating consequences for your key programmes.
The Constitution expressly states that the “Bill of Rights” is the cornerstone of our democracy. It preserves the rights of all our people and upholds the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. The State must respect, protect, promote and fulfil these rights.

Honourable Minister, your department should play a significant role in realising these rights for vulnerable and marginalised women, children and people with disabilities.
As it stands, it is not clear how your Department is working to improve the lives of women, children and people with disabilities. So tell us your plan to uphold the rights of those you claim to champion. Show us that your ministry cares about the vulnerable South Africans it is suppose to protect.

Prove to us that your ministry matters.

I thank you