When the Democratic Alliance shadow Minister of Social Development, Bridget Masango (MP), and the DA member of the National Council of Provinces on Social Development, Thandi Mpambo-Sibukwana (MP), stepped out of their cars at the Nonceba Family Counselling Centre in Khayelitsha on Tuesday August 7, they were excited to visit a place where broken hearts were mended and lives rebuilt.
The centre is a shelter for abused women and their children. It provides counselling services to the broader Khayelitsha community and also offers educational programmes, skills training and makes sure victims go for doctors’ appointments.
However, after watching a 10-minute video and hearing from social worker and centre manager Pauline Perez about the stories of those who live there, the two MPs were left shaken.
Ms Perez gave detailed information of circumstances at the centre and in Khayelitsha.
She said there was a lack of platforms for men to speak about their actions and a dire need for proper counselling for rape and trauma victims.
She said it is at times sad to see victims going back to their partners because they have no choice.
Ms Perez spoke about the frustration of those who work at the centre and the lack of funding for some programmes.
But, she said: “What keeps me awake is a high violence directed to women and children. Why is it men are so violent?
“I know they were not born violent. There has to be a platform for men to speak out. Let them talk about this culture. They always say it does not allow them to do certain things. There must be a space for men to talk. There has to be preventative work with men,” she said.
“Unless men say let us not do this, we will continue to see women coming here for safety. I wish the government can care and know that we are dealing with lives here. We have a good relationship with the social development department. But we are not allowed to keep victims of abuse and human trafficking here for more than three months.
“That is very little considering that you must counsel them, seek shelter for them and many other things,” she said.
The MPs struggled to remain composed by what they heard and had to hold back tears but they congratulated the centre for the sterling job it is doing for the country.
They praised the centre for being the only one in Khayelitsha offering victims of human trafficking and others help.
“I am thrilled because the centre is run by women. It was started by a woman. Carry on doing the good work.
“But we will have to meet with Social Development MEC about other challenges that we feel they can help,” said Ms Mpambo-Sibukwana.
Ms Masango commended the centre for the services it provides to the communities.
“It is amazing to see what impact they make on people’s lives.”
She said innocent and vulnerable people are exploited and forced into domestic slavery, farm labour and sexual exploitation.
“Domestic trafficking sees people removed from their homes, brought to urban areas and exploited,” she said.
She said the lack of adequate policing and resources allocated to securing our borders have further exacerbated the scourge of human trafficking in our country.
“This is indicative of a government that does not care about the wellbeing of marginalised and vulnerable groups,” she added.
Ms Masango called on all the political parties to do away with gender-based violence and promised to revisit the centre.
