Date: 06/12/2005
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Peters: Anti-Rape Indaba
Keynote address by Northern Cape Premier Dipuo Peters at the Provincial Anti-Rape Indaba, Phatsimang College, Galashewe
Programme Director
Hon MECs
Honourable Mayor and councillors
Faith-based organisations
Esteemed members of the judiciary
Representatives of business
CBOs and NGOs
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Media representatives
Allow me from the onset to thank the Department of Safety and Liaison under the leadership of MEC Madikane for hosting this two-day Anti-Rape Indaba on behalf the Government in the Northern Cape. We congratulate them because this indaba is held at a time when the country is observing the 16 Days of Activism on No Violence Against Women and Children.
This is the time when our beloved and beautiful province should take a stand and join the rest of the world in ensuring that the incidents of violence against women and children do not occur and the affected families are supported.
After the release of the 2004/05 crime statistics by Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula earlier this year, it has become clear that rape in particular, but also other forms of abuse against women and children, remain serious crime problems within the Northern Cape province.
On the one hand, the increase can be regarded as positive in the sense that it could be indicative of communities and victims breaking the silence and having more confidence in the police and criminal justice system. On the other hand the reality of the matter, namely the occurrence of rape in the first place, is a negative factor and altogether unacceptable if we move from the premise that one rape is one too many. For example the cases of rape has increased in terms of the ratio per 100 000 of the population in the province to 173,3.
This is a concern because we have the smallest population in the country but register such a high percentage on incidents of rape compared to other bigger provinces. The actual percentage increase of rape in the province is 6,8%.
Government has developed and implemented an integrated Anti-Rape Strategy that was launched in the province during November 2002 to mark the start of the 16 Days of Activism on Violence against Women and Children that particular year. The Anti-Rape Strategy Framework is based on three pillars of prevention, reaction and support with short, medium and long-term action.
This indaba and other campaigns conducted by government are geared towards finding solutions to some of these challenges facing our societies through our educational programmes, awareness programmes and initiatives conducted by our moral regeneration movement and many other avenues.
I am therefore pleased that this indaba has brought together all relevant role-players from public, private and civil society as a culmination of regional anti-rape workshops that were held in the province during August this year.
This forum should seek to build on the related resolutions taken at the recent provincial Substance Abuse Indaba since it is common knowledge that substance abuse plays a major role in the rape phenomenon.
Our aim, therefore, as the provincial government is to deepen the implementation of the provincial Anti-Rape Strategy in the context of the framework mentioned above and particularly in respect of clear, practical, measurable and realistic action, roles, responsibilities and timeframes.
While the initial focus in respect of implementation of the strategy was more on surviving and fixing the bad as well as supporting the good, it is becoming more important to begin to shift the focus towards building the new in respect of the mentioned pillars of prevention, reaction and support.
All relevant role-players and stakeholders present here are expected to deliberate and consider what is missing and whether our current actions, systems, infrastructure and processes are relevant and effective in the prevention of rape, reaction to rape and support of victims of rape.
The National Crime Information Analysis Centre indicates that in 2002 the rape statistics in the Northern Cape were 1 460 in 2003 we stood at 1 472, in 2004 the figures were 1 531 and for this year we are at 1 559.
This is unacceptable and we cannot tolerate this steady increase of incidents of rape. We must take a stand now and not later, now and not tomorrow. All of us must make concerted efforts and assist the police to bring down these figures of rape in the province.
Men must protect their women and children. Real men don’t rape. Today the indaba must find solutions to this problem. We collectively have to craft the way forward and ensure that next year when the crime statistics are released we notice a decrease in rape. We need to win the fight against abuse of women and children, including the aged.
This year we had several incidents of abuse against our elderly. In some instances the youth who should be taking care and respecting the elderly were the ones committing this crime.
We are also grateful for those youth who have behaved well and protected the elderly and reported incidents of abuse to the police. The police have also done a good job in arresting and following up cases and leads from the public.
The process going forward should be addressing and improving the current situation, by focusing on the three pillars, prevention, reaction and support. We need to provide physical security at schools and pre-schools, especially in high-risk areas.
The police should also conduct a crime-pattern analysis and target police deployment at our hotspots. The regulation of alcohol and drug use and availability to children should be monitored.
All of us should assist the Department of Safety and Liaison and the police to raise awareness and increase public education and participate in programmes of community partnerships on advocacy, counselling and providing support and hope for victims of rape.
The judiciary should also increase the number of skilled prosecutors while at the same time also recruit committed court personnel, who will serve our people with respect, courtesy and uphold the principals of Batho Pele.
Departments such as Social Services and Health should also take part in providing ongoing health care for victims and increase availability of relevant counselling services.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) would have to improve community policing, analyse rape statistics on an on-going basis while the Department of Social Services is co-ordinating a strategy around care of orphans to reduce abuse.
My office, the Office of the Premier and all government departments should collectively mobilise communities to protect our women and children.
Programme Director,
In conclusion allow me to acknowledge and thank certain individuals on behalf of the province and the Department of Safety and Liaison.
To all of you, thank you very much for heeding to our call by being part of this indaba, affording us an opportunity to find solutions to these challenges. Your inputs will shape the strategic focus that we will be taking as a province.
We also hope that the responses from government will assist the community to understand the rationale behind our priorities.
To all the teams that made this day possible by working tirelessly, thank you for all that you have done and shall continue to do.
I thank you.
Ke a leboga.
Baie dankie.
Enkosi.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
6 December 2005
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Peters: Anti-Rape Indaba
Keynote address by Northern Cape Premier Dipuo Peters at the Provincial Anti-Rape Indaba, Phatsimang College, Galashewe
Programme Director
Hon MECs
Honourable Mayor and councillors
Faith-based organisations
Esteemed members of the judiciary
Representatives of business
CBOs and NGOs
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Media representatives
Allow me from the onset to thank the Department of Safety and Liaison under the leadership of MEC Madikane for hosting this two-day Anti-Rape Indaba on behalf the Government in the Northern Cape. We congratulate them because this indaba is held at a time when the country is observing the 16 Days of Activism on No Violence Against Women and Children.
This is the time when our beloved and beautiful province should take a stand and join the rest of the world in ensuring that the incidents of violence against women and children do not occur and the affected families are supported.
After the release of the 2004/05 crime statistics by Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula earlier this year, it has become clear that rape in particular, but also other forms of abuse against women and children, remain serious crime problems within the Northern Cape province.
On the one hand, the increase can be regarded as positive in the sense that it could be indicative of communities and victims breaking the silence and having more confidence in the police and criminal justice system. On the other hand the reality of the matter, namely the occurrence of rape in the first place, is a negative factor and altogether unacceptable if we move from the premise that one rape is one too many. For example the cases of rape has increased in terms of the ratio per 100 000 of the population in the province to 173,3.
This is a concern because we have the smallest population in the country but register such a high percentage on incidents of rape compared to other bigger provinces. The actual percentage increase of rape in the province is 6,8%.
Government has developed and implemented an integrated Anti-Rape Strategy that was launched in the province during November 2002 to mark the start of the 16 Days of Activism on Violence against Women and Children that particular year. The Anti-Rape Strategy Framework is based on three pillars of prevention, reaction and support with short, medium and long-term action.
This indaba and other campaigns conducted by government are geared towards finding solutions to some of these challenges facing our societies through our educational programmes, awareness programmes and initiatives conducted by our moral regeneration movement and many other avenues.
I am therefore pleased that this indaba has brought together all relevant role-players from public, private and civil society as a culmination of regional anti-rape workshops that were held in the province during August this year.
This forum should seek to build on the related resolutions taken at the recent provincial Substance Abuse Indaba since it is common knowledge that substance abuse plays a major role in the rape phenomenon.
Our aim, therefore, as the provincial government is to deepen the implementation of the provincial Anti-Rape Strategy in the context of the framework mentioned above and particularly in respect of clear, practical, measurable and realistic action, roles, responsibilities and timeframes.
While the initial focus in respect of implementation of the strategy was more on surviving and fixing the bad as well as supporting the good, it is becoming more important to begin to shift the focus towards building the new in respect of the mentioned pillars of prevention, reaction and support.
All relevant role-players and stakeholders present here are expected to deliberate and consider what is missing and whether our current actions, systems, infrastructure and processes are relevant and effective in the prevention of rape, reaction to rape and support of victims of rape.
The National Crime Information Analysis Centre indicates that in 2002 the rape statistics in the Northern Cape were 1 460 in 2003 we stood at 1 472, in 2004 the figures were 1 531 and for this year we are at 1 559.
This is unacceptable and we cannot tolerate this steady increase of incidents of rape. We must take a stand now and not later, now and not tomorrow. All of us must make concerted efforts and assist the police to bring down these figures of rape in the province.
Men must protect their women and children. Real men don’t rape. Today the indaba must find solutions to this problem. We collectively have to craft the way forward and ensure that next year when the crime statistics are released we notice a decrease in rape. We need to win the fight against abuse of women and children, including the aged.
This year we had several incidents of abuse against our elderly. In some instances the youth who should be taking care and respecting the elderly were the ones committing this crime.
We are also grateful for those youth who have behaved well and protected the elderly and reported incidents of abuse to the police. The police have also done a good job in arresting and following up cases and leads from the public.
The process going forward should be addressing and improving the current situation, by focusing on the three pillars, prevention, reaction and support. We need to provide physical security at schools and pre-schools, especially in high-risk areas.
The police should also conduct a crime-pattern analysis and target police deployment at our hotspots. The regulation of alcohol and drug use and availability to children should be monitored.
All of us should assist the Department of Safety and Liaison and the police to raise awareness and increase public education and participate in programmes of community partnerships on advocacy, counselling and providing support and hope for victims of rape.
The judiciary should also increase the number of skilled prosecutors while at the same time also recruit committed court personnel, who will serve our people with respect, courtesy and uphold the principals of Batho Pele.
Departments such as Social Services and Health should also take part in providing ongoing health care for victims and increase availability of relevant counselling services.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) would have to improve community policing, analyse rape statistics on an on-going basis while the Department of Social Services is co-ordinating a strategy around care of orphans to reduce abuse.
My office, the Office of the Premier and all government departments should collectively mobilise communities to protect our women and children.
Programme Director,
In conclusion allow me to acknowledge and thank certain individuals on behalf of the province and the Department of Safety and Liaison.
To all of you, thank you very much for heeding to our call by being part of this indaba, affording us an opportunity to find solutions to these challenges. Your inputs will shape the strategic focus that we will be taking as a province.
We also hope that the responses from government will assist the community to understand the rationale behind our priorities.
To all the teams that made this day possible by working tirelessly, thank you for all that you have done and shall continue to do.
I thank you.
Ke a leboga.
Baie dankie.
Enkosi.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
6 December 2005
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