SAVE Victim Support Services. DEMAND Rights for Victims of Crime Now!

Although this Bill makes provision for support to victims of crime, it also aims to severely regulate support services, organisations providing those services and shelters. This includes physical, psychological, social and spiritual services. The regulations proposed in this Bill will add to the problematic regulatory framework NPO's already face but without the addition of funding.

In its current form, THIS BILL WILL REQUIRE YOU TO:

1. Register as a service provider delivering services to victims of violent crimes. It will impose criminal sanctions and possible imprisonment if you fail to register;

2. Bear the cost of this registration;

3. Always have enough human resources and financial resources to achieve the realisation of the objects of this legislation irrespective of the mission and vision of the individual organisation.

IT WILL ALSO GIVE THE STATE A WIDE RANGE OF POWERS including the power to cancel or suspend the registration of a service or facility, enter your facility without a warrant to monitor your service and demand the handover of any documents irrespective of whether they are subject to client confidentiality as well as prescribe the management structure of your facility.

THIS BILL DOES NOT set out an appeals process for an application for registration has been declined nor does it provide any recourse for victims if that state fails to protect the rights of victims of violent crime.

IT ALSO:

Creates conflicting frameworks of requirement for buildings/facilities. The Minister of Social Development will be responsible for norms and standards around the “structural constriction”, but the building must also comply with the building regulations of the local municipality.

Service providers will have to spend additional financial resources to ensure compliance with the legislation. At the same time, the state will also have to fork out more resources to enforce the legislation while it already struggles to enforces currently operational legislation.

We demand the following included in the Bill:

a) Communicate to and educate the public on how the criminal justice system works, and what victim's rights are.
b) Provide victims with more information about their individual cases and how to track their progress.
c) Empower and support victims with greater psychosocial care.
d) Develop and inter-sectoral collaboration between all of the relevant departments and role players in the criminal justice system.
e) Create better accountability mechanisms and a centralized complaints system.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Read more about the Bill
2. Sign this petition
3. Make a submission to the DSD - by email, no later than Wednesday, 7 October 2020 to: Siza Magangoe: [email protected]; and Luyanda Mtshotshisa: [email protected]; and Anna Sithole: [email protected]
4. Spread the word as far and wide as possible!

Read the Bill here: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202007/43528gon791.pdf