Commission for Gender Equality to probe high GBV case withdrawals

The Commission for Gender Equality has held a public hearing on the high number of gender-based violence (GBV) cases being withdrawn in courts in Mpumalanga.

The Commission says it realised that the province has a high number of cases that are cancelled or withdrawn.

It says 40% of the cases in the first quarter of 2024 were cancelled in Mpumalanga.

The Commission chairperson Nthabiseng Sephanya-Mogale says they engaged the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Police Services (SAPS) to understand the causes.

“There’s a high incidents of cancelation and withdrawal of such cases but before we came here we prepared a questionnaire and a whole list of things that we asked the province both the South African Police Services and the National Prosecuting Authority and this hearing we held here today are actual based on their responses wherein we are following some of the issues picked up in our investigations.”

Meanwhile, Mpumalanga acting Police Commissioner Zeph Mkhwanazi says resources have a direct impact on some of the cases that are yet to be finalised.

“We need definitely to keep on making sure that once an investigation has taken place, matters actual get to courts and proper prosecution is properly taken place. That’s what we are looking for. It is true that vehicles will always be a problem, remember very well Gender-based violence desk in the violence is there where members work, dealing with different issues. It can happen that other vehicles are taken by other issues then would be running short.”