Hon deputy speaker, my colleague asked: What should the department do with R230 million? What can the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities do? They can champion the cause of women, youth and people living with disabilities.
The ACDP has considered this Budgetary Review and Recommendation, BRR, Report including the many concerns
and recommendations expressed by the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
This Report must be seen against the public outrage following the murder of a number of women, including University of Western Cape, UWC, student, Jesse Hess.
While we welcome President Ramaphosa's action plan to find gender-based violence with an additional R1,8 billion going towards funding programmes and shelters and Thuthuzela Care Centres, much still needs to be done to protect vulnerable women and children.
What is disturbing is that two months after the murder of Jesse Hess and her grandfather, no one has been arrested and very little progress has been made with this investigation. Jesse's family is still waiting on a forensic report; over two months after her death.
This appears to be the case with so many similar murder and rape cases. The perpetrators are never found and the victims just become crime statistics. This is unacceptable. There are many families who seek for
resolution for what was done to their mothers, sisters and friends.
This department should make a goal to engage with police and sectors of the criminal justice system to ensure that cases are prosecuted.
So, again, what do you do with R230 million? You champion the cause of women and person living with disabilities and youth. And you make sure that criminals go to jail ... who does things against women and children and people living with disabilities. I thank you. [Applause.]