Thank you very much, Chair. Deputy Minister, we have just heard that eight police stations do not have rape kits, but it could be many more. I know it is not your duty to provide these stations with the kits, but if we say we are having a problem with procurement this raises alarm bells. I would like to know from you, how you and your department are going to stand in front of a mother or a child and say, I am sorry you cannot be tested because the stations do not have rape kits. Minister, I really don't want to be in your shoes. Please, we are urging you, we are requesting you and we are stamping our feet that together you and your Minister engage with the Minister of Police to ensure that our children, who are the most vulnerable, and our mothers are looked after. Make sure that
these stations are equipped and that the officers in these stations are also properly trained. Thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY FOR WOMEN, YOUTH AND PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES: Thank you very much Chairperson and hon member. I think we are all ashamed of the situation we find ourselves in. This is the country we love and we are proud of it, but what we are talking about really doesn't give us peace of mind. As the hon member has said there's not even a single family which I would say is not affected about what we are talking about - directly or indirectly. I think if this procurement could take longer - the issue of distribution - we have to go back to the Minister of Police and engage him, or maybe begin to ask a number of police stations which have suppliers as to where they are and where they are located and so on. It is something which I don't think today any one of us can say I will be able to explain to the people of South Africa. It is something which we should have done yesterday. So we will follow up closely. We were aware of the delay. We have to commit hon members, we have to step up our efforts all the time and make sure that we don't leave anything to chance. The resourcing of police stations is critical because they are the frontline face of government when it comes to reporting these cases. Thank you. [Applause.]