‘GBV awareness a way of solving crimes’

Leonard Ncube , Victoria Falls Reporter
EDUCATING members of the public on gender-based and domestic violence is key in sensitising communities against crimes related to abuse as well as enabling them to access justice.

In an effort to capacitate communities, some organisations advocating for an end to gender-based violence (GBV) have trained some members of the public to identify GBV and help track some cases of abuse that may have been swept under the carpet.

The Gender Action Teams (GATs) is part of the Rights Action and Accountability (RAA) programme by SafAids working with Sonke Gender of South Africa, Norad and with Buwalo Matalikilo Trust (BMT) as the local implementing partner.

The four-year programme is being implemented in South Africa, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe in Hwange’s Matetsi and Silewu wards.
The RAA project is aimed at mobilising and empowering communities to identify abuse and be able to hold authorities accountable.

It has helped in sensitising communities to report cases, improve access to justice and build confidence in the country’s justice system as GAT members have helped track some cases which have now been resolved in courts.

There are 30 GATs in the two wards and they attend to cases of rape, sex with minors, child abuse, physical abuse and any other forms of abuse.

Ms Precious Mungombe of Farm 56 in Lubangwe who is one of the GAT members said the community now understands issues of GBV.

She said they work with traditional leaders, councillors and the police’s Victim Friendly Unit. “Our role is to help people to report cases of domestic violence and any other abuse that may take place in their area or family. Some report on their own but cases are not pursued and we come in to pursue such cases until they get to court and justice is served,” she said.

Without giving statistics, Ms Mungombe said they had attended to several cases that have been completed in the courts.

“We help teach about children’s rights so young people know when they are abused and give them reporting channels so that they are not afraid of the police. I am working on a case of a young girl who was raped by a 20-year-old man and the case had stalled. We followed it up with police and it’s going to court on May 19,” she said.

Village head for Isla Farm in Lubangwe Mr Felix Ncube said members of the public have been capacitated to report cases.

He said as a traditional leader he attends to some cases by inviting both parties and referring them to police where necessary.
SafAids senior programmes officer Mr Lloyd Dembure said GATs members were selected by communities and had established cordial working relationships with law enforcement agents.

He said during lockdown the GATs have been going door-to-door educating members of the public on GBV issues.

“GBV cases have a long turnaround period and the GATs have helped in terms of tracking some cases as their mandate is to protect communities. So far we are happy with the reception from the community and this is evident in the trend in reporting cases,” said Mr Dembure in an interview on the sidelines of one a RAA programme in Lubangwe yesterday.

BMT executive director Mrs Annah Mandizha-Ncube said GATs role is to complement leadership and law enforcement agents at local level.

“GATs are there to raise awareness on what GBV is as well as the process of accessing justice. The programme started in 2018 and we have had an increase in a number of reported cases whether through traditional courts or mainstream courts. People now have the capacity and knowledge to report cases and justice is being served,” she said. — @ncubeleon.