Cachalia outlines SAPS's strategy against GBV this festive season

ACTING Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, has outlined the measures being taken to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide during the upcoming festive season.

- HOPE NTANZI

This follows a question from Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament Lencel Komane, who asked about the concrete measures the Minister has put in place to tackle gender-based violence and femicide during the upcoming end-of-year festivities.

In his parliamentary written reply, Cachalia emphasised that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has launched a series of coordinated operations aimed at preventing serious and violent crimes, including GBV and femicide, which tend to surge during the festive period.

These operations include the current Operation Safer Festive Season, which falls under the broader National Crime Combating Forum's initiative, Operation Shanela II.

He explained that the operations have a particular focus on high-risk areas, where police visibility is heightened in a bid to deter crime.

“The focus areas of these operations include heightened police operations and visibility in high-risk areas to prevent and combat serious and violent crime including gender-based violence during the festive season when the risk of contact crimes, substance abuse as well as Gender-Based Violence (GBV) are very high,” Cachalia said.

He further noted that the SAPS has developed and is actively implementing the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV&F) Action Plan, which aligns with the National Strategic Plan on GBV&E.