The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The DA wants the City of Johannesburg’s adopted Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Strategy to be redrafted to include measurable targets and not just another string of words.

We believe that a strategy without a funded implementation plan risks becoming another document that sounds good on paper but delivers little on the ground.

The strategy adopted in council this week refers to awareness, prevention, psychosocial support, safe spaces, skills development and economic empowerment, but does not clearly set out what will be delivered, what it will cost, who is responsible, or when residents can expect results.

Currently, female motorists on Main Road and Witkoppen are violated daily by a looter who bangs on their cars, and the City has not done anything about him despite residents' complaints, and the DA reports to the City.

South Africa faces an entrenched GBV and Femicide crisis, and the response cannot continue to be measured by the number of strategies adopted. It must be measured by services delivered, survivors supported and lives protected.

The City must therefore provide a costed implementation plan with measurable targets, clear responsibilities and regular reporting to Council on funding, progress and service gaps.

Survivors do not need another promise that funding will be found later. They need functioning services now.

If elected to govern Johannesburg, in accordance with our Manifesto, we will strengthen local policing by investing in technology, improving cooperation between SAPS, municipal police and private security, and supporting neighbourhood watches.

GBV threatens lives and can trap survivors in economic dependence. We strive to pair meaningful protection with job creation that helps survivors rebuild their lives and gain financial independence.

The City must move from strategy to implementation, and from commitments on paper to measurable action on the ground. Every woman, child, and vulnerable resident deserves to live safely, and every survivor deserves access to meaningful support.

Issued by Health and Social Development S79 DA Committee Member Chantelle Fourie-Shawe