SPEECH TO THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT BY BRETT HERRON, GOOD MEMBER OF THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT AND SECRETARY-GENERAL
3 SEPTEMBER 2020
According to the UN Women report of April 2020 “many…women are now trapped at home with their abusers and are at increased risk of other forms of violence as overloaded healthcare systems and disrupted justice services struggle to respond.”
If we are going to fight gender based violence and domestic violence:
We need leaders who are angry about this scourge.
We need leaders who will take action.
We need leaders who are determined to move beyond the constraints to make sure that not one woman more remains in danger.
We don’t have those leaders in this Western Cape Provincial Government.
We have whingers and blamers and women, yes women, occupying leadership positions but unwilling to move mountains to protect another woman from a violent life.
When we raised questions in this house about the transfer of 6 buildings, for GBV shelters, from the National Department of Public Works to the Province both the MEC for Social Development and the MEC for Education told us, hand-wringingly, that the are unable to make progress because the mountain to move is a massive bill for renovations to the 6 buildings that Dept of Public Works wants to charge the Province.
They sought suggest that the National Minister of Public Works had held a media event and not followed through as promised.
The facts are that the Minister of Public Works has been imploring this government to make more rapid progress in finalising the transfer of the buildings.
It is this government that is stalling, incompetent and uncaring.
The massive bill for the renovations is actually only about R100 000 per building, and the Department of Public Works offered this government an instalment plan of R800 to R1200 per month.
It is outrageous that this parliament was led to believe that women in danger cannot be offered protection because the provincial government cannot afford the renovations bill.
It is disgraceful that two women leaders, in this government, chose to try score political points on the backs and on the lives of women across this province living in danger and looking for help.
It is simply not credible that a small monthly cost, of R800 to R1200 per month, is a barrier to safety for women.
Ends