Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez attended the formal opening of the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) in Stellenbosch.
This occasion was attended by several officials, including Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development John Jeffery and National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) operates a TCC, which is a one-stop shop for victims of gender-based violence (GBV).
The Western Cape Department of Social Development supports this collaborative programme, which also includes the province Health and Wellness Department, the Justice and Correctional Services Department, the South African Police Service, NGOs, and the commercial sector.
The Department is sponsoring NGO Stellcare to provide 24/7 psychological support services at the Stellenbosch TCC. These services, including counselling, are critical to the well-being and safety of clients.
“This facility will also be a haven and a lifeline to many victims and survivors of gender-based violence. It is thus important that we maintain effective working relationships, to ensure no one in need of support is left behind.
“Those who will be working here have a great responsibility to ensure that each wounded individual who walks through these doors leaves here feeling supported, hopeful, and as the word thuthuzela says, comforted,” said Fernandez.
Since 2019, Thuthuzela Care Centres and DSD-supported GBV shelters in the Western Cape have provided psychosocial help to over 21 000 persons each year. The province now has nine Thuthuzela Centres in operation.
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