MEC for Health and Social Development in the North-West province, Rebecca Kasienyane will officially launch the new provincial “Integrated Victim Empowerment Plan” on Tuesday, 2 November 2010. The plan aims at providing support, protection and empowerment for victims of crime and violence in an integrated way, i.e. (through strategic partnerships within and between government and civil society, with a special focus on vulnerable groups.
The development of the Integrated Victim Empowerment Plan was initiated at national level and provinces were expected to develop their own. North West Provincial Victim Empowerment forum led by the Department of Health and Social Development through its Victim Empowerment Programme has since then undertaken a monitoring exercise from 25 January to 11 February 2010. The three year strategic plan was therefore developed and sent to key departments and non governmental organisations (NGOs) for acknowledgement.
The Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) is the programme of the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) which was approved in 1996. VEP was officially launched in 1998, however the full implementation started in 1999. The programme aims at making the criminal justice system more victim friendly and minimises the negative effects of crime on victims through the development of integrated services for the victims of crime and violence.
The Department of Social Development is mandated by the NCPS to lead VEP in terms of coordination and facilitating the implementation of victim empowerment policies, initiatives and services. The key role-players for the VEP have specific responsibilities as articulated in the National Policy Guidelines for Victim Empowerment. These role-players are, Department of Social Development, Department of Health, South African Police Service, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development including the National Prosecuting Authority, Department of Education, Department of Correctional Services and Civil Society.
The role players are responsible for developing their own victim empowerment related internal strategies, policies, structures and programmes. The integrated plan commits the key departments to support the implementation of the plan which will improve services to the victims of crime, violence and abuse.
The media is therefore invited to attend the launch which will take place as follows:
Date: 2 November 2010
Venue: Mmabatho Palms
Time: 11h00
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Cell: 082 929 9958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
