7 October 2024: As South Africa braces for the upcoming Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on 30 October, the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) calls for urgent reforms in social care funding, especially in the fight to stem gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). This comes after the Gauteng Department of Social Development returned R554 million in unspent funds to Treasury, earlier this year, leaving essential services like gender-based violence (GBV) shelters to cope on their own.
NSMSA Head of the Executive, Zubeda Dangor, explains, “Shelters are crucial for disrupting violence, providing safe spaces, saving women’s lives and aiding family rehabilitation. Without adequate fundinghttps://www.nsmsa.org.za/2020/08/24/press-release-the-national-shelter-movement-calls-for-the-president-to-address-funding-of-womens-abuse-shelters/, the fight to end GBV is severely compromised. Government underspending on social services brutally affects vulnerable populations reliant on support networks. Delayed or reduced funding disrupts shelter and social welfare services, and access to healthcare and other critical services. This leads to decreased capacity, forcing shelters to turn victims away, thus perpetuating cycles of poverty, violence, and inequality.”
One such shelter, the Nisaa Institute for Women’s Development in Gauteng, received no funding for the last two quarters of the previous financial year. Complex compliance requirements, coupled with no government support for associated costs, left Nisaa in an untenable position.
“The delay in funding meant we could not accept any new clients during a particularly critical time. We were not there when women and children needed us most,” says Sima Diar, Nisaa’s Programme Director. “This failure to disburse funds on time weakened our collective effort to fight GBV. Over the last six months, funding delays have forced us to reduce operations, leaving only one operational shelter in Johannesburg for the entire first half of the year. Survivors were turned away or redirected to shelters outside their communities. Relocating often meant losing access to local healthcare, disrupting children’s education, and breaking community ties, which can be a crucial part of the recovery process.”
Funding gaps have not only affected shelter availability but also critical services like counselling and legal support and safety of survivors. The lack of consistent funding has led to staff burnout, which further undermines the quality of care provided. Diar says that an unfortunate consequence is that they are seen as unreliable when victims’ needs cannot be met. And while this perception is not a reflection of our commitment but rather a result of systemic failures from government (and the private sector), it also becomes an obstacle to properly serving our communities because victims of GBV cannot access these very important services when they need it most.
According to Dangor, “Shelters across Gauteng face ongoing financial uncertainty. Despite efforts to secure alternative funding, government support remains insufficient and inconsistent. Let’s consider the Nisaa shelter, which receives R160 per person per day from the Department of Social Development, while actual costs to cater for the needs of victims of domestic violence are in the region of R320. This means that shelters, which are already stretched to capacity, must find their own way to make up the 50% shortfall. Though donations help bridge this gap, relying on charity is not a sustainable solution for a critical public service. Shelter teams should be focused on the work of helping victims heal, instead they now have to also focus on fundraising.”
Lisha Stevens, Nisaa Social Worker, says, “Every day is a struggle as a result of the uncertainty of funding. This instability holds us hostage, preventing us from focusing on delivering the care that those in crisis need. For a country that claims to be committed to ending GBVF, we must see this in action. Shelters need support to meet compliance requirements and avoid disruptions in services. Moreover, funds must be disbursed promptly, without red tape, to ensure shelters can maintain essential operations. The current subsidy must be increased to match the actual cost of care and support. This will help ensure that shelters can offer comprehensive support, to include behaviour change and family preservation programs – which are crucial for breaking cycles of violence and supporting survivor reintegration.”
The NSMSA says, “We need clarity from the department about why they decided not to spend the R554-million on the people who need it most because this is not a new problem. We need the Minister of Finance to hold DSD GP accountable for this underspending – which has become a trend – because it has a huge impact on the wellbeing of the people in the province. Each year the services to these communities become less equipped, while the number of people needing care, and the costs associated, continue to rise. The main question is, why send money back to the Treasury when you have not honoured your commitments to the people of your province, that includes the victims of GBV, as well as children, people with special needs and older persons?”
Gender-based violence (GBV) shelters in South Africa face chronic underfunding, bureaucratic hurdles, and delayed disbursements. Insufficient government subsidies cover less than half of operational costs for many shelters, leading to funding gaps, delayed payments, and reduced capacity for essential services like counselling and legal assistance. Compliance requirements are complicated and costly, further straining resources. As GBVF statistics continue to rise, can the government really say that it is doing its best for the GBVF pandemic, when shelters have to scale back services, reduce available beds, and struggle with staff burnout, all of which impacts their ability to provide comprehensive care to GBV survivors.
“It is frustrating when the government continues to pay lip service, because we need action as a demonstration of its commitment to end GBVF. For too long, the funding situation for GBV shelters in South Africa has been one of instability and chronic shortfalls, which has clearly undermined their ability to serve the needs of victims and survivors effectively. The persistent issues of underfunding, bureaucratic red tape, and reliance on inconsistent external donations have created a precarious environment for these essential services and calls into question the government and the private sector’s commitment to end GBVF, once and for all.”
These and other issues will be discussed in the upcoming National GBV Shelter Indaba (16-17 October), which is being hosted in collaboration with the Department of Social Development and the Heinrich Boell Foundation. The public can follow the 4th Annual National GBV Shelter Indaba online.
Details will be posted on Facebook and Twitter.
The NSMSA’s National GBV Shelter Helpline helps victims and survivors access all GBV-related services. Call toll-free from a landline or Telkom mobile on 0800 001 005 or dial 112 from a Vodacom or Cell C phone or send a WhatsApp or PleaseCallMe to 082 057 8600.
