The Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini and her Deputy Minister, Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, will officially launch the Department of Social Development's programme for 16 days of no violence against women and children in Gauteng and Eastern Cape Provinces respectively.

Minister Dlamini will be in Alice outside East London where she will engage with that community after officials of the Department had been in the area conducting dialogues to hear how Government is responding to issues of violence against women and children.

The Deputy Minister, Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, will hold a media briefing launching the National Emergency Response Team (NERT), a mobile service that consists of social workers and psychologists specializing in trauma counselling. The team is deployed via the Department's 24-hour Gender Based Violence Command Centre and provides trauma counselling in the private spaces of survivors. The team is managed to also monitor cases reported in the media for immediate intervention.

The Command Centre is a toll-free line that provides a professional service and can geo-locate callers.

The toll-free number to call for assistance is 0800 428 428 (0800 GBV GBV).  Callers can also request a social worker from the Command Centre to contact them by dialling *120*7867# (free) from a cellphone.

Members of the media are invited to attend and cover Minister Dlamini’s engagement with the community of Alice as follows: 

Date:   Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Time:  12:00

Venue: Alice Golf Course, Alice, Eastern Cape Province

Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu will brief the media during the launch of the National Emergency Response Team (NERT) as follows:

Date:    Tuesday, 29 November 2016 

Time:   11h00 

Venue:  GCIS 1035 Tshedimosetso House - Cnr Frances Baard and Festival streets in Hatfield Pretoria – Gauteng Province          

There will be a video link up to Imbizo Media Centre – Parliament, 120 Plein Street in Cape Town

Media can RSVP by contacting Mr Jaconia Kobue - 073 026 1111 / jaconiak@dsd.gov.za

Media inquiries may be forwarded to Ms Lumka Oliphant on 083 484 8067 or lumkao@dsd.gov.za