Victim re-empowerment in South Africa

Transcription

1 Victim re-empowerment in South Africa by by Chiara Donadelli 1 1 Chiara Donadelli has obtained a Master in Global Studies at the University of Gothenburg and is currently a researcher and stakeholder engagement professional at Effectius. Her principal subjects of interests are corruption and corporate social responsibility. ISSN number : Creative Commons Licence: Feel free to distribute this article. You must give the original author and Effectius credit and may not use this work for commercial purposes.

2 Effectius This article builds on an extract from a talk with the Khulumani Support Group from South Africa. A special thanks goes to the National Director of Khulumani Dr. Marjorie Jobson for her time. Khulumani means speaking out in Zulu. This word summarises the mission of the group, which is to build an inclusive and just society in which the dignity of people harmed by Apartheid is restored through the process of transforming victims into victors 2. The Khulumani Support Group was instituted in 1995 in response to the pending Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) which failed to address the consequences of political violence and human rights violations for many people. In the post -TRC dispensation, Khulumani shifted its focus from responding to the requirements of the TRC to addressing the felt needs of its members. 3 Such an organisation assists the victims in appealing and accessing victim support programmes provided by the authorities in the firm belief that the government continues to hold an obligation towards traumatised citizens in the long-term goal of achieving the restoration of their dignity and reconciliation. 4 The majority of Khulumani's members are human rights violations survivors (about 90%), but were not included in the processes of the TRC; accordingly, they see in Khulumani the opportunity to get justice and also to change society for the better. The victim empowerment model has been the force behind Khulumani s actions and mission 5. They believe that victim re-empowerment is in the hands of victims themselves Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 The Victim Empowerment defines the process of promoting the resourcefulness of victims of crime and violence by providing opportunities to access services available to them, as well as to use and build their own capacity and support networks and to act on their own choices. Hence, empowerment may be defined as having (or taking) control, having a say, being listened to, being recognised and respected as an individual and having the choices one makes respected by others (moving from victim to survivor). [ ] Through victim support aimed at victim empowerment, the victim is restored to a state as close as possible to that existing prior to the offence and ideally to a state where the person has been able to learn and grow. (National Policy Guidelines For Victim Empowerment, Minister of Social Development of South Africa, 2009) [2]

3 Victim re-empowerment in South Africa in becoming the active participants in their own lives, in a supportive environment, victims are progressively transformed into victors. 6 Noteworthy for other victim support organisations as a successful example is the project carried out with the support of the programme instituted by the government of South Africa in 1998 Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons 7. The aim of the programme is to inspect and report on the treatment of prisoners and conditions in prisons. 8 The programme also includes a role for Independent Prison Visitors, appointed countrywide to visit prisons, interview prisoners, and file monthly reports to JIP 9. In most detention centres in South Africa, there is a 150% prison occupancy, which implies the possibility that conditions is not up to standards. So, one of the goals of these visits is to raise awareness and promote change. The Khulumani organisation plays a pivotal role in supporting those members who want to take a step further and not only complain about the ill-treatments they have suffered from but to be at the forefront in preventing ulterior injustices from occurring. Khulumani is working to help its members to apply for the accreditation from the Government for the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons programme in order to control and notify the conditions in which detainees live. Three members of Khuluman, who were victims of torture and whose human rights were violated under Apartheid, have been nominated so far. Khulumani considers the status of victim to be very powerful and motivational for those who have a chance to make a difference in a situation they were put in before. The selection procedures for the appointment of the Independent Prison Visitors are complicated and often not accessible for common citizens without a certain level of 6 Khulumani official website, accessed on Sept. 25, The South Africa s Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons (JIP) is a watchdog body overseeing treatment of prisoners and prison conditions; it uses an online system fo r reporting on prison issues and communicating with independent prison visitors and prison managers. (UNPAN, 2010) 8 UNPAN, 2010 South Africa: the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons online reporting system. 9 UNPAN, 2010 South Africa: the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons online reporting system. [3]

4 Effectius education 10. Khulumani makes efforts to prepare their members for the appointment interviews by providing them with assistance and practical tools to candidates: for instance the manual for the accreditation has been ameliorated and rendered more accessible.. This programme is highly valued by Khulumani, in the light of the strong message that its members send to the society and the government when they get accredited for such a responsibility. It is a responsibility that only certain individuals can take, given the emotional burden it can bear. Nevertheless, it may definitely be highly rewarding too. A significant trait of Khulumani is the crucial role victims play in defining the agenda of the organisation and in putting into delineating victim support practices. Indeed, most victim support organisations provide psychological help to their members thought the approach is markedly top-down, namely victims are not included in the actual operations of the organisation. The needs of the members have been determined through extensive nationwide needsassessment surveys. Khulumani conducted the first pilot Community Needs Assessment survey in in Gauteng. A year later a nationwide Needs Assessment Survey (NAS) was launched. The NAS provided the organisation with sound empirical data and exceptionally detailed and valuable information about the life circumstances of Khulumani's members. The information derived from these needs assessment forms is utilised for designing appropriate projects that are tailored to meet the needs of the members, as well as for documentation of a collective history of all those involved in the apartheid-era struggle It was essential to provide those appointees with intensive instruction and training concerning the relevant provisions of the Correctional Service Act and the existing Regulations and the Orders, the relevant provisions of the new Act, as well as the implications of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, and more particularly, those provisions relating to the treatment of prisoners and conditions in prisons. (Extract from the first Annual Report of the Inspecting Judge of the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons, 2009) 11 [4]

5 Victim re-empowerment in South Africa The Khulumani Support Group today has more than members 12 who have been victims of human rights violations (detention, torture etc.) due to activism during the apartheid years in South Africa. Some of it members are affiliated to political parties but the group is politically neutral because it copes with fundamental human rights not ascribable to any particular political instance. The group is still working to raise awareness and acceptance to the fact that its members have been victims and now are victors, because they are using their experiences to ameliorate society and fight for democracy. Chiara Donadelli Published as part of the Effectius Newsletter, Issue 15, (2011) 12 [5]