Stakeholders from government, civil society and communities in the Northern Cape have called for stronger collaboration and coordinated action to address human rights violations, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), and HIV/AIDS in the province.
The call was made during a Provincial Dialogue hosted by the Sonke Gender Justice IMS Project in Platfontein on 27 May 2026 at the Garden Court Hotel in Kimberley. The half-day dialogue brought together 15 stakeholders across government and civil society, including the Commission for Gender Equality, the Provincial Department of Health, Civil society organisations such as the District Aids Council, Grassroots Edge, Bathopele NGO, and the Shaine Griqua Advice and Development Centre, community representatives from Platfontein, and the Local GBVF Steering Committee was key attendees at the engagement, to discuss the role of civil society and government institutions in advancing human rights and strengthening responses to GBVF and HIV/AIDS.
The dialogue took place against the backdrop of ongoing human rights, GBVF, and HIV/AIDS challenges in the Northern Cape. According to the SAPS Q1 2025/2026 crime statistics, the province recorded 198 rape cases between April and June 2025. This highlights the continued need for coordinated interventions that respond to the experiences and priorities of communities. The Provincial Dialogue provided a platform for stakeholders and duty bearers to reflect on these challenges, share experiences, and identify opportunities to strengthen existing interventions.
During a panel discussion facilitated by Sonke Gender Justice Project Coordinator Dwaine Fish, panellists emphasised that addressing human rights violations, GBVF and HIV/AIDS requires government and civil society to work together rather than in isolation.
The discussion highlighted the lack of police visibility and access to services in Platfontein. The discussion focuses on the need for a collaborative intervention in the community of Platfontein. The panellists emphasise the issue of the lack of collaboration between different government departments, with participants calling for an organised intervention to address gender-based violence and human Rights Violations in the area. Community members from Platfontein request visibility of police in the community, and the key recommendation by civil society and Government institutions in the Northern Cape is to amplify efforts to strengthen collaboration and interventions from different institutions.
“Dwaine Fish, Project Coordinator from Sonke gender justice attest that the purpose of the dialogue is to create a platform for different stakeholders and partners to collectively create interventions to address Human Rights violations and Gender Base Violence and femicide in Platfontein. The dialogue creates a platform to create interventions and commit to a joint intervention to address the issues people in Platfontein are challenged with.”
Keneilwe Mokalane, Public Education and Information Officer at the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), emphasised the importance of community participation in challenging injustice and working with institutions to address issues affecting communities.
“Communities need to stand up against injustices and work together with government institutions to address issues affecting communities.”
The dialogue forms part of Sonke Gender Justice’s broader efforts to strengthen community and institutional responses to human rights violations, GBVF and HIV/AIDS in the Northern Cape. By bringing government, civil society and communities together, the initiative seeks to strengthen accountability, improve coordination and ensure that interventions respond to the realities faced by communities.
As stakeholders move forward, continued collaboration will be critical to turning the commitments made during the dialogue into sustained action and meaningful change for communities across the Northern Cape.
