President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed into effect three anti gender-based violence bills that will afford victims more protection.

These amendments will, among other things, allow victims to apply for protection orders online without having to appear in court, and will require all sexual offenders to be placed on a national registry.

The Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill, Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill, and Domestic Violence Amendment Bill were all signed into law.

Itumeleng Dinku, a lecturer and researcher in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Population and Health research entity, says the relationship between policy and the legal frameworks aimed at curbing the damage caused by intimate partner violence (IPV), is now more important than ever.

Dinku says these Bills have been a long time coming. "With the new legislation, the definition of domestic violence has also been expanded to encompass victims of assault who are engaged to be married, dating, in customary partnerships, and/or in actual or perceived romantic, personal, or sexual relationships of any duration.  

“Fortunately, government has now started to enforce laws that had been lying dormant for a long time, thereby eliminating the impression that victims of gender-based violence are not deserving of justice and have no recourse in law,” says Dinku.

“Key to ensuring the success of these Bills, will be the empowerment of the South African Police Service and the Department of Social Development with the necessary human and technical resources to implement them.”

“Violence has always been part of the socio-economic fabric of South Africa – one need not look too far for far-reaching statistics on the rise of IPV over the past couple of years.

"However, while these Bills are designed to protect and help victims of abuse, we need to communicate the message that the greatest cure is no abuse at all," concludes Dinku.

 Itumeleng Dinku.