Government-funded programmes and services for vulnerable - Unicef

Department of Police, SAPS and the NPA
Table 11.1 Programme/service map: South African Police Services and the National Prosecuting
Authority
Services for victims of domestic violence
Programme/
services
Description of the
programmes/actual
service provided
Targeted beneficiaries/
qualifying criteria/how to
obtain the service
Delivery mechanism/
service providers
Services for
victims of
domestic
violence
The Domestic Violence
Act 116/1998 requires
members of the SAPS
to render support
services to domestic
violence complainants,
either at the scene of
the incident or as soon
as reasonably possible
thereafter.
The Act requires
the police to render
‘assistance as may
be required in the
circumstances,
including assisting or
making arrangements
for the complainant to
find a suitable shelter
and to obtain medical
treatment’ (s2(a)).
The assistance that
must be provided
in terms of the Act
and accompanying
guidelines for the SAPS
includes: i
complainants of their
rights to apply for
a protection order
and/or lay a criminal
charge;
complainant in
finding alternative
accommodation,
shelter and
counselling;
Targeted beneficiaries
Victims of domestic
violence are almost
always women and
children. ii They are
accordingly the primary
targeted beneficiaries of
the Domestic Violence
Act.
The Act recognises
the vulnerability of
children to domestic
violence. iii It extends
the protective
ambit of the Act by
including them in the
definition of protected
‘complainants’.
A complainant is
defined as (s1(iii)):
Any person who is or
has been in a domestic
relationship with a
respondent and who is
or has been subjected
or allegedly subject
to an act of domestic
violence, including any
child in the care of the
complainant.
Domestic violence
includes (s1(viii)):
psychological abuse;
SAPS officers
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