Good afternoon, hon Chairperson and hon members. I will respond to the question asked by Mr D A Worth. Since 1994 one of government's top priorities has been the eradication of violence against women and children. Government has unequivocally committed itself to reducing violence against women and children.
Our legislative framework to protect women and children is comprehensive. This includes measures to tighten the bail laws and minimum sentences for, among others, crimes against women and children listed in the Domestic Violence Act and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, which brought about a comprehensive and extensive review and amendment of the laws relating to sexual offences. The Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill currently before the National Assembly, in particular, focuses on women and children, since victims of trafficking often end up being victims of sexual exploitation and child labour.
Various government departments have put measures in place to facilitate the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act. For instance, resources have been made available for the development of policies and programmes, outreach and education, training, the hiring of personnel, the establishment of family court centres, and the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign.
The theme for this Women's Month and, indeed, for the entire year is: "Working together for equal opportunities and progress for all women". This theme clearly highlights the need for close collaboration among all stakeholders to accelerate responses to the challenges faced by women - especially rural women - and girls and women with disabilities.
Gender-based violence is a complex societal problem that demands an integrated and multifaceted response. We need to investigate and address both the causal and influencing factors; we need to encourage reporting; and we need to accelerate the transformation of our criminal justice system to ensure effective and successful management of cases of gender-based violence.
While a sound legislative framework exists in this country to support and protect women and children from gender-based violence, it is giving material effect to the legislative provisions that poses the greatest challenge. Much more needs to be done if we are to be successful in creating an environment where women and children can feel safe and move around freely without anxiety or fear. The focus in future needs to be more on the implementation of our laws and policies, which is not always easy - especially in the prevailing economic climate.
With respect to gender equality, government enacted the Employment Equity Act, Act 55 of 1998, to achieve equity in the workplace. Such equity must be achieved through the elimination of discrimination against women and ensuring equitable representation by women in all occupational categories.
Furthermore, government adopted a target of 50% representation of women at all levels of decision-making in all spheres of government. The country is on track towards achieving this target, and this is clearly reflected in both the executive and administrative levels in the country. However, the country is still facing challenges in achieving these targets in the private sector. I thank you for your attention.
Thank you, Deputy President, for your detailed reply. In the context of my question and your reply, in your opinion, how do we manage or get that Domestic Violence Act to be more effectively implemented? We have this wonderful Bill, but it is certainly not being implemented to its fullest extent. What are your comments on that, Deputy President?
It's actually us who should answer that question because we have got to monitor the implementation. However, I won't deny the Deputy President the opportunity to respond, if he wishes to.
Hon members, I think the challenge arises precisely because, in a domestic situation, the perpetrator and the victim are often people who are related. Certainly, in African communities, this is what happens: In families, once there's abuse of whatever kind, the uncles, aunts and other family members come to the fore and mediate. In the majority of cases they advise against such incidents being reported to law enforcement units. They tend to treat it more as an internal family matter, under the illusion that the prestige and good name of the family would be dragged through the mud by bringing such incidents into the open. I think that is what tends to blunt the effectiveness of this Act. Thank you.
Chair, I would like to ask the Deputy President whether, in light of the increased incidence of rape in South Africa, government will consider reinstating the specialised units in the SA Police Force to deal with such crimes.
Thank you, hon Harris. If we go by the performance of the criminal justice system during the Fifa World Cup, it should be possible for us to apprehend offenders, including those who engage in rape. I think the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development has assured the country that the special courts will remain in place, and that the additional 40 000 police officers will remain on the beat.
I'm sure hon members are aware that in the Eastern Cape this week we woke up to reports of the most horrendous deeds that were visited upon a family. An old, old grandparent and grandchildren were slaughtered. Those offenders are appearing in court today. I think if we continue to deal with offences of whatever nature with this kind of efficiency and speed, we should be able to deal even with the perpetrators of rape, without having a specialised unit. I suppose, out of practical experience, if we find that a much more specialised unit would be effective to deal with rape offences, that would be considered favourably. Thank you.
Thank you, Chairperson. Deputy President, it is a well-known fact that women who lack adequate formal education and skills will remain subservient to males who are better educated and skilled. Therefore I wish to ask: What big steps has government put in place for the women students who complete their education to skill them on how to protect themselves against violence and rape?
Hon members, I think the government can only do so much to ensure that the laws that have been enacted are understood by all citizens - regardless of their levels of education - so that these should be used as a form of protection against abuse as well as rape.
The difficulty, as I indicated earlier on, is that these are offences which, in the main, happen within family settings rather than just out there in the public space. Because of that, there are no early warnings or signals that indicate that such an offence is about to be committed. If you add into the mix substance abuse and so on, then the challenge becomes even more complex.
But, generally speaking, the government would like to ensure that all women are aware, first and foremost, of their protections and are able to read the indicators. Sometimes it becomes possible to read the intentions of certain approaches. Of course, government alone will not be able to be omnipresent and reach out to everyone. This is work that we ought to do in partnership with community-based organisations, NGOs and other kinds of formations. Thank you.
Position regarding commitment by African countries to increase health expenditure by 15%
14. Mr M J R de Villiers (DA) asked the Deputy President:
(1) Whether the commitment that was signed by African countries in 2001 in Abuja, Nigeria, to increase their expenditure on health by up to 15%, was an agreement document between these countries; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what is the status of this agreement as an implementation document;
(2) whether South Africa formed part of the African countries that committed themselves to this agreement; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) (a) what percentage of this 15% that was committed to will be spent on HIV/Aids, (b) what percentage is currently spent on HIV/Aids, (c) where does the SA National Aids Council fit into the (i) planning and (ii) decision-making on how the 15% is spent and (d) how is this expenditure implemented?