The outcome of the mapping exercise that was conducted by CCI during the period of November 2018 to June 2019 in Gauteng (Alexandra & Diepkloof) , KwaZulu-Natal (KwaMashu & KwaNdengezi) and Mpumalanga (KaNyamazane & Thushanang) indicated that in all these implementation sites there are different coordination forums but lack of representation of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersexed and Queer (LGBTIQ+) organisations or persons, and active involvement of the private sector in GBV.

In Gauteng for example, there are Victim Empowerment Forums (VEFs) hosted irregularly by the Department of Social Development (DSD), Mpumalanga has District AIDS Councils (DACs) and Local AIDS Councils (LACs) that meet regularly but do not integrate GBV in their meetings. In KZN there are Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) War Rooms and their subcommittees for women and children which are mostly inactive. However, all the mentioned forums lacked coordination and do not collaborate effectively to lead, coordinate and manage a holistic GBV response. Furthermore, the forums lacked funding and leadership to host meetings and conduct activities that prevent and respond to GBV effectively. Community partners managed to revive the forums and bring together stakeholders namely, key government departments, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working with women, children, LGBTIQ+ groups and Persons with Disability (PWD) and local taxi associations to be part of the Masiphephe Network.

The primary mechanism for achieving impact against the outcomes under IR1 is to continue strengthening existing GBV Forums in the implementation sites. Drawing from the 2016 White Paper that was approved and adopted by the Cabinet in April 2016, Community Safety Forums (CSFs) are placed within local government to facilitate an integrated and coordinated approach to the implementation of safety programs at community level. The CSF mechanism provides the program with an opportunity to leverage on the lived experiences of community members and the CSO’s that work in the community, know and understand their context better. The GBV Forum will be used to strengthen the capacity of all stakeholders to mitigate and address GBV holistically. CCI will also provide technical support on sustainability planning through organizational capacity development of the community partners as well as development of sustainability plans and monitoring their implementation.

The GBV Forum, will achieve the following outputs:

• An effective, functioning and sustainable coordination and collaboration structure
• Improved coordination of existing services among stakeholders achieved through establishing functional and accountable working groups to develop strategies and implement solutions around the identified GBV indicators. Their progress will be demonstrated – and their course will be corrected – through quarterly report backs.
• New stakeholders, including traditional leaders, Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), youth organizations and the private sector will be encouraged to participate in the GBV Forum. The business associations were engaged during stakeholder mapping to elicit their support and commitment to the GBV Forums.

Their on-going participation in the GBV Forum will include building their individual and organizational capacity to mainstream GBV response into community development efforts across sectors and to strengthen their collaborative capacity to work on developmental issues.

• Increased revenue for GBV related initiatives from existing sources of funding will be realized through engaging relevant government services in the GBV Forum and, through the Technical Working Groups (TWGs) which operate in Alexandra, Emalahleni, Mbombela and eThekwini while Community Action Teams (CATs) have been established by Sonke in Soweto, to explore ways in which existing resources can be used effectively. Through the involvement of the private sector, it is hoped that opportunities for developing localized solutions to GBV drivers can be developed and this will be a great focus in sites like Emalahleni, Johannesburg, eThekwini and Mbombela.
• Accountability is built into the GBV Forum process. These multisectoral coordination forums will use the guiding principles and core values of the Implementation Framework of the White Paper on Safety and Security (2016) which are: (i). Equality in access, protection and services; (ii). Commitment of high-quality service; (iii). Integrated planning and implementation; and (iv). Evidence-based planning and implementation. It will be amplified to the community through the weekly call-in community radio programs and quarterly GBV Forum activities are reported and community inputs are received.