12/18/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/18/2024 06:37
The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre is now live
The Department of Social Development's Gender Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) is now operational.
This follows a long protracted battle with the appointed service provider for non-delivery.
The department had to terminate the contract and appoint a new service provider and the service went live at 10 am on December 18 2024.
Due to the urgent need to resuscitate the services of the GBVCC, the department had to prioritise making voice services available. This means callers reporting incidents of GBVF will be able to do so by calling the command centre.
Other methods of making contact with the command centre such as SMS, Please Call Me (USSD) Web-link and WhatsApp services will be rolled-out gradually, in the first quarter of the new year.
The Gender Based Violence Command Centre was launched by the department in November 2013 to provide immediate care, support and counselling to victims of violence by qualified social workers for 24 hours and link victims to other services of government.
In order for the department to provide the unique service of the GBVCC to geo-locate victims of violence, the department will approach the Information Regulator for an exemption to, in terms of S37(1)(a) of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), allow the GBVCC to track the location of victims or potential victims of GBVF.
South Africans can call the GBVCC on 0800 428 428.
Media enquiries may be forwarded to Mr. Bathembu Futshane on 0711621154 or [email protected]