Gender-Based Violence Command Centre to be open 24/7 this festive season
The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre is operational 24/7 throughout the festive season to offer support to victims.
Image: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers
The Department of Social Development has said that the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) remains fully operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the festive season.
The centre’s services are available all year, the department said. It provides free, confidential and immediate support to survivors of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
The services offered include online trauma counselling, telephonic support, referrals to Social Workers, shelters, psychosocial services and law enforcement, ensuring that survivors receive timely assistance when they need it most.
“As South Africa enters the festive season, the Department urges communities to remain vigilant and to report all forms of GBVF, noting that this period is historically associated with an increase in cases.”
Last month, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli highlighted the province’s troubling gender-based violence (GBV) statistics, cautioning that the festive season often brings a spike in attacks against women and children.
“During the festive period, we see a marked increase in incidents linked to alcohol and drug use,” Ntuli said at the time.
Speaking on the readiness of the Centre, Department of Social Development GBVCC Centre manager, Carol Tladi, said the festive period often places women and children at heightened risk.
“Our data consistently shows that cases of gender-based violence increase during the festive season. Alcohol abuse, as well as the use of legal and illegal substances, remains one of the key drivers contributing to these incidents,” said Tladi.
She assured the public that the GBVCC is prepared to respond to increased demand during this period, emphasising that no survivor should suffer in silence.
The department called on families, communities and individuals to play an active role in preventing violence, supporting survivors and reporting perpetrators.
For assistance, contact the GBV Command Centre:
- Call: 0800 428 428
- Dial: *120*7867# from any cellphone
- Send a "Please Call Me" to *120*7867#