The Portfolio Committee on Police is extremely dismayed by the South African Police Service's level of non-compliance with prescripts of the Domestic Violence Act The committee today received a briefing from the Civilian Secretariat for Police on compliance with the Domestic Violence Act and the Police Station Census.
"It is disheartening that in a country that is struggling with alarming levels of gender-based violence and femicide there remains high levels of non-compliance with provisions of the Domestic Violence Act. Among other non-compliance items include failure to adequately complete incidents in the Domestic Violence Register, failure to assist a complainant to open a case, failure to serve a protection order and render a satisfactory service to the victim," said Mr Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of the committee.
The committee was informed that between October 2023 to March 2024, 59 cases of non-compliance were reported, with Free State reporting 23 cases, Western Cape 20 cases, North West 15 cases and Gauteng one case. While the committee acknowledges that remedial actions have been taken against officers for non-compliance, it urged the SAPS to enhance training to ensure that their officers are able to render quality services to victims of domestic violence. Also, the inability to render efficient service has a direct impact on the trust levels victims have in police, which has a direct impact on the willingness to report cases of domestic violence.
Despite this, the committee is concerned that there are still police stations without victim-friendly rooms that facilitate a safe space to report cases of domestic violence. While the committee noted that 97.31% of police stations had designated interviewing rooms, the fact that 2.68% stations did not have victim-friendly rooms is concerning and requires immediate action from the SAPS and sister departments. "It is unacceptable that some of the reasons highlighted include lack of knowledge and understanding and shortage of personnel," Mr Cameron emphasised.
The committee is of the view that the non-compliance is indicative of weak leadership within the SAPS. "The continued non-compliance with Domestic Violence Act provisions underlines the need for an urgent skills audit at senior management levels of the SAPS, which the committee considers as one of the main weaknesses within the service," Mr Cameron said.
Meanwhile, the committee noted with concern that 101 SAPS officers have been reported as victims of domestic violence and 191 SAPS officer were perpetrators of domestic violence. The committee has emphasised the need for wellness support for members of the SAPS, as this will unlock coping mechanisms for officers. "Employee health and wellness for SAPS members has been identified as a critical area of oversight for the committee and as such urged the SAPS management to prioritise capacitation of Employee health and wellness initiatives to ensure that all members of SAPS have access to and receive psychosocial support, especially in the context of the suicide rate among SAPS members," Mr Cameron said.
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The committee has resolved that there is a need for a comprehensive engagement with the SAPS aimed at finding solutions to the current challenge with non-compliance with Domestic Violence Act provisions.
Meanwhile, the committee noted with concern the early morning news of the murder of two women and the rape and robbery of five matric learners in Bityi, in the Eastern Cape. The committee has urged the SAPS to leave no stone unturned in investigating those heinous crimes and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
