Victim Support Services (VSS) Bill

The Minister of Social Development invites all stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society organisations and members of the public, to submit written comments on the Victim Support Services Bill.

Find here: Victim Support Service Bill - Fact Sheet
                   Victim Support Service Bill 2020 – Easy to Read version

Comments must be submitted to: Siza Magangoe on [email protected]; or Luyanda Mtshotshisa on [email protected]; or Anna Sithole on [email protected] by no later than Wednesday, 7 October 2020.

All comments should be submitted in the following format: Clause Commented on, Proposal, and Motivation.

The object of the Bill is to provide a framework within which victim support services may be provided to victims of violent crime. It seeks to protect the rights of victims and direct that all service providers dealing with a victim treat such victim with dignity and respect regardless of their citizenship, race, gender, culture, religious and personal circumstances.

The Bill further seeks to ensure that a victim is assisted to access victim support service programmes and services from the Department and relevant service providers. It clarifies the roles and responsibilities of different service providers in the provision of victim empowerment services; mitigate secondary victimisation; make provisions for the relevant institutional arrangements.

It also provides for intersectoral programmes or support services that seeks to promote integrated service delivery for victim empowerment programme; for the registration of a facility; for accreditation of any programmes; for vetting of staff members; and minimum standards for the strengthening of security at service providers’ premises. It provides for the procedure for the registration, the period of validity of such registration and the renewal thereof. It also caters for suspension of registration and voluntary deregistration.

View: Minister’s Statement

View: Memorandum on the Objects of the Bill