South Africans only have until today, 9 October 2020, to submit their comments and support online (www.dearsouthafrica.co.za/gbv/) regarding the amendment of gender-based violence legislation.
Action Society and Dear South Africa (DearSA) decided on a partnership to gather the public’s insight on these life-changing proposals. The foreseeable adjustments promises that the names of all rapists will be included on the National Register of Sex Offenders (NRSO), that this register will be made publicly available and that offenders’ names will be kept on the database for a longer period.
“To facilitate the participation process, we decided to join forces. This is an important opportunity where you as an individual can change the history of South Africa. We therefore want to encourage the public to take part in the effortless process that will only take a minute or two of your time,” says Daleen Gouws, spokesperson for Action Society.
Action Society also reached out to the NRSO Registrar, Ntombizodwa Matjila, with practical suggestions on reviewing the current NRSO protocol. This follows after the pressure group received a written response that the database had not been kept up to date since 2009. Matjila also acknowledged that the efforts of various government departments to obtain NRSO clearance certificates for teachers and prospective adoptive or foster parents were unsuccessful.
“For too long loopholes in the system unscrupulously granted sex offenders the opportunity to prey on vulnerable women and children. We call on all South Africans to be a voice for the voiceless and to submit their comments digitally on DearSA’s website,” says Gouws.
ISSUED BY: Action Society
DATE: 9 October 2020
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Daleen Gouws,
Spokesperson: Action Society,
Cell: 0812338351
