The team repaired and installed 62 street lights and held 60 GBV door-to-door awareness campaigns in the Phutanang community in Galeshewe. They received GBV stats from SAPS showing a reduction of 45.5% of rape cases reported in the area.
Replacement of streetlights and installation of new lights | Weekly meetings to discuss obstacles and refine plans | GBVF Awareness Day | Track GBV incidents | Monitoring recruitment processes for key positions | Provision of support to victims and survivors | Dialogue with men| Handing over of resources to NGOs | Presentations on the NSP on GBVF | GBVF Awareness Outreach campaigns | Getting the word out – Television and radio
Teamwork and alignment | Effective communication | Commitment | Improved coordination| Support from the Premier’s Office | Community engagements | Trusting the partners | Going with flow | Locals owned the solutions | Learning exposure and mindset change | Service delivery improvements
FOCUS AND GOAL
Focus
The Northern Cape Province has been feeling neglected in the absence of support by the national government for the province’s efforts to address GBVF. Since the adoption of the NSP on GBVF in April 2020, the province has not received any support in enhancing its understanding of the NSP on GBVF and the province’s role in it. This became a key motivation for Pillar 1 to choose the Northern Cape for its 100-Day Challenge.
The idea was to establish at least one functional Rapid Response Team (RRT) in the Northern Cape Province.The NSP on GBVF provides for establishing Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) . These are multi-sectoral structures based at the local level to respond to GBVF in a collaborative and coordinated manner. The District leaders decided to focus on Sol Plaatje Local Municipality. The initial idea was to establish an RRT in this municipality and ensure that through this RRT, victims/survivors of GBVF have access to support and services.
For the two key interventions of the GBVF National Strategic Plan, the Pillar 1 national pillar team selected one area for the district to choose an Impact Challenge.
Results
The initial goal was to reduce the backlog of sexual offences cases by 80%. This goal was later adjusted to a goal within the control/influence of the team; to focus on reducing the number of sexual offences in Phutanang, one of the GBVF hotpots in the province. The team reckoned that interventions to reduce alcohol abuse and installing street lights would deter perpetrators, resulting in fewer sexual offences.
100-Day Goal:
To install and repair 48 street lights to prevent and/or reduce GBV incidents by 30% in Phuthanang.
The team repaired and installed 62 street lights and held 60 GBV door-to-door awareness campaigns in the Phutanang community in Galeshewe. They received GBV stats from SAPS showing a reduction of 45.5% of rape cases reported in the area.
Stakeholders
Experiments, Innovations and Actions
Replacement of streetlights and installation of new lights
48 lights were identified for repair. Phutanang informal settlement was also identified for electrification. The overflowing sewer was attended to. At the end of the 100 days 62 lights lights were repaired and installed.
The electrical team conducted regular inspections of the street lights installed at night to check the functionality of the lights.
Plans are underway to install additional solar lights at the Cemetery.
GBVF Awareness Days
The team conducted 60 door-to-door visits in the Phuthanang area, focusing on substance abuse as one of the drivers of GBVF. Some of the outcomes of the day are:
- 7 domestic violence cases were referred to SAPS for further assessment
- 9 cases were referred to DSD
- A live interview was done by Radio Teemaneng to follow up on the work done by the 100-Day Kwanele Pillar 1 team
Monitoring recruitment processes for key positions
Civil Society members of the team monitored the National Prosecuting Authority recruitment process of hiring Site Coordinators and a Case Manager to support in addressing the backlog of rape cases.
The Northern Cape Police Station recruited Safety Officers to speed up services related to GBV.
Ritchie Dialogue with men
The initial idea was to host a GBVF Summit. At a later stage, the team decided to focus on the Ritchie GBVF Dialogue programme, during which young men were allowed to share their views on the best possible ways to prevent GBVF.
During this dialogue, it became apparent that perpetrators are aware of the weakness in the legal system. The other disturbing discovery was that, according to these men, most women were very vocal about how they rely on the perpetrator financially and therefore would not want to see them arrested.
Presentations on the NSP on GBVF
During the initial discussions among stakeholders, it became apparent that more education was needed on the NSP on GBVF. Working with the DWYPD, the Province facilitated several engagements on the NSP on GBVF, including presentations at the following forums:
- SAPS GBVF Steering Committee
- EPWP Induction Meeting in Upington.
- Frances Baard District Municipality
- Namaqua District Municipality
- Presentation to the Upington District Municipality
- John Taolo Gaetsewe District
The aim was to:
- Support Districts and Local Municipalities to establish GBVF Rapid Response Teams to coordinate GBVF response at local level
- Support the GBVF RRTs to develop GBVF Implementation Plans (M&E Plans) to monitor and track progress in the fight against GBVF
The aim (Continue)
- Build capacity at the local level to integrate the NSP on GBVF by assessing the District Development Model (DDM) Plans & Integrated Development Plans and giving feedback to enable integration
- Provide mentorship support to Local stakeholders through membership to DD Plan Committees, IGR Committee
Through this support, the Frances Baard Municipality launched the district GBVF forum on the 23rd of June 2022.
Track GBV incidents
To track the impact of the interventions, SAPS focused on capturing statistics of sexual offences being reported every month.
GBVF Awareness Outreach campaigns - School & Church
St.Peters Primary School
This programme focused on bullying, sexual harassment, safety tips & GBVF. SAPS illustrated to learners about bullying and safety tips. The team committed to the school that they will have follow-up programs regarding GBVF, and other programs that seek to empower learners on drug abuse, alcohol etc
Centenary Methodist Church – This campaign aimed to strengthen the “Thursdays in Black” campaign and to continue to encourage the church to focus on the prevention of GBVF.
Provision of support to victims and survivors
NGOs have provided psychosocial support to victims and survivors.
Handing over of resources to NGOs
Key organisations providing GBVF-related services were identified, and through MEC Bleom, essential resources such as computers and other donations were handed over to them. The Bothman Ratanang Victim Empowerment Centre received a laptop, whilst the Living Waters received sanitary pads.
Weekly meetings to discuss obstacles and refine plans
Weekly meetings were key in achieving the goals. Through these meetings, the team identified better ways to achieve its goal and team members held each other accountable.
Insights gained and lessons learned
Teamwork and alignment
Working together as a team sustained the team and kept everyone focused on the work. Everyone worked very hard to ensure that the team’s goal was achieved, and all team members took their roles very seriously.
When the team began losing momentum, it became apparent that something was needed to get everyone back on track. During the discussions, it became obvious that members needed more clarity on roles and the impact each role has on the team’s ability to achieve the set goal. When the alignment was well understood, everyone just knew exactly what they needed to do. This changed the tone and atmosphere of every meeting and activity that was undertaken by the team.
Effective communication
Communication was the glue for the team. Through WhatsApp, everyone was kept informed, and all inputs were considered. This helped to create solid relationships which will continue beyond the 100-Day challenge.
Recommendation:
- Maintain the WhatsApp group to continue with collaboration.
Statement of Commitment
Having defined the roles, team members were excited and inspired to achieve their goals. They then went on to develop a statement of commitment that all members signed. Not that they did not trust each other, they just wanted to make sure that there were no mistakes or misunderstandings later in the process. They were so invested in the process that they did not want to leave anything to chance. This created the momentum needed and strengthened relationships within the team.
Recommendation:
- Cement the relationship and commitment by designing a statement that all members will commit to. This becomes the team’s motto, a concise reminder of what the team is about.
Improved coordination
With most of the team members having full-time jobs, accommodating the 100-Day Challenge activities became tricky at times. To facilitate quick turnaround time and action, the mentors and team leaders focused on coordination, ensuring that information was provided in a clear and timely manner. Follow-ups and messages sent through the WhatsApp group began to move the team with speed and agility.
Recommendation:
Start with role definition and clarification, then use communication to ensure a common understanding of the goals. This way, team members understand that their individual goals are subordinate to the team’s interests.
Support from the Premier’s Office
The 100-Day Challenge Project enjoyed support from the highest office in the Province, which gave it the recognition and support it needed. In addition, the commitment and leadership from the Premier’s office motivated and inspired the team. It also opened the door for the team to share and engage other districts and municipalities on the 100-Day Challenge principles and the NSP on GBVF.
Recommendation
- More participants from Government departments and Municipalities should be included in future challenges
- Involvement from DSD and DOE was limited and should be improved in future initiatives
Community engagements
Although the team made strides in engaging the community and some of the target groups, more people could have been reached if the media had been capitalised upon. Through the media, one can reach more people simultaneously, and further dialogues could follow this up to ensure that communities assume an active role in addressing GBVF.
Recommendations:
- Media platforms should be used for Community engagement
- Initial awareness through media should be followed up with community dialogues
- Utilise existing community-level leadership such as ward councillors to reach more people, including those who have been abused, survivors and all people, to fight GBV
Trusting the partners
Bringing different stakeholders in one room comes with its own difficulties of ensuring that everyone feels heard, acknowledged and trusted. It is difficult to trust someone that you have never worked with before, and the team learnt that it is important to find a balance between not being seen to be pushy or doubting the next person’s commitment and competence and trusting that they will show up as expected. The Ambassadors appreciated the commitment and competence of the government stakeholders.
Recommendation
100-day Challenges could be a new service delivery model – by working collaboratively, relationships and trust are built between stakeholders.
Going with flow
Facilitating engagements with different stakeholders can be tricky; it requires one not to be completely restrictive but to open space for exploration whilst steering the conversation back to the point of focus. We have learnt that the best possible way to manage a situation which takes you away from the agenda is to open the space for stakeholders to voice their concerns respectfully and always look for ways to weave in the need to work together to find solutions to these concerns. This turns the gripe and grime session into a solution-finding session. All own solutions if found in this way.
Recommendation:
Flexible facilitation is necessary to bring organisations together and allow them to determine the agenda and raise concerns. GBVF Forums should play this role
Locals own the solutions
When the team started engaging more stakeholders, work began to happen much quicker as the teams owned the process and came up with good solutions, such as dividing themselves into smaller teams to target specific areas. This led to the team making recommendations to ensure that more local stakeholders take ownership of the process.
Recommendations:
- Establish GBVF Ward Committees
- Include the NSP implementation as a performance indicator in all provinces
- SAPS GBVF activities to be incorporated into the provincial GBVF plans
Learning exposure and mind-set change
Team members indicated that the 100-Day Challenge process expanded their horizons, especially in understanding process flows. One member indicated that she learned to spot improvements needed in her organisation and introduced goal setting. The process brought a new way of thinking and finding ways to solve problems.
Service delivery improvements
Although this 100-Day Challenge focused on addressing GBVF, it was exciting for the team to see the project’s direct benefits to the entire community. This sparked conversations around the importance of service delivery in creating a safe space for communities. As a result of this 100-Day Challenge project, more service delivery issues were identified, e.g. leaking sewer and illegal dumping sites, which were addressed.
Recommendation:
Incorporate GBVF in local plans of municipalities, such as the IDPs.
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Survivors and victims directly impacted in
100 days
45
Organisations
involved
To what extent would you recommend the 100-Day Challenge experience?
To what extent did the 3 behaviours emerge during the 100-Day Challenge, compared to before?
“If working across sectors together as one team can be normalised in dealing with GBVF, we can achieve more and in a sustainable manner.”
The 100-Days
01 April - 09 July
2022
“100-Day Challenge is a catchy name, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.”
Unsung Heroes
People not part of the 100-day team, but without whom the results would not be possible:
Mandla Neku
Naomi Chista
Margaret Jiri
100-Day Challenge Ambassadors
The World of Impact 100-Day Challenge exhibits 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
