ABOUT US
In December 2019, an uncommon Partnership was forged to combat GBV in South Africa.
Prof. Wolfgang Schürer, of St. Gallen University and founder of the St. Gallen Symposium, and Dr Edwin Hertzog, Founder and Chairperson of the private medical group, Mediclinic International (MCI) agreed to a RfP-Mediclinic-led intervention, to provide specialised care to victims of sexual assault, as a first step to support GBV victims to become survivors.
This initiative since inception aimed to overlay an over-burdened state system through effective private sector-partnerships and collaboration.
2019
Initiative
- Prof. Wolfgang Schürer and Dr. Hertzog meet and agree on an uncommon collaboration to address GBV.
2020
Training
- The Ring for Peace Cape Trust was established.
- The former head of the Victoria Hospital Rape Unit, Dr. Rhene de Villiers collaborated with Ring for Peace Cape Trust to develop a set of training videos for both medical and law enforcement training.
- “The GBV Victim is first of all a patient in urgent need of care”
2021
Pilot Project
- Roll-out of a pilot project in three Mediclinic Emergency Centres in the Western Cape, to train doctors and nurses working in these units to be equipped to specifically manage GBV Victims, regardless of the individual’s financial status.
2022
Leadership Group
- The Ring for Peace Cape Trust initiative continued throughout the COVID pandemic.
- A collaboration emerged with the key role players from institutions active in GBV, manifesting in the GBV Leadership Group.
- One of the GBV Leadership Group initiatives was to establish a first-of-its-kind, dedicated, all-service Centre, inside an affected community to serve the greater Stellenbosch area. A further objective was agreed that the Centre would serve as a research, training, and development resource for the country.
- This led to the collaboration with Stellenbosch University and the identification of the site of a former residence in Ida’s Valley, known today as the Stellenbosch GBV Centre.
- Further roll-out of the Mediclinic EC GBV program, firstly to the remainder of the Mediclinic Western Cape hospitals and thereafter on a national basis, starting with hospitals in high GBV communities.
2023
The Centre
- Upgrade of the former SU residence was completed.
- The Centre spans some 1400-1500 sqm and has dedicated medical facilities for both adults and paediatrics (children).
2024 - 2025
Inauguration
- The Stellenbosch GBV Centre was inaugurated in February 2024 and offers a secure and nurturing setting for all victims. It provides comprehensive clinical examination services for adults and a specialised clinical facility exclusively dedicated to the care of child victims.
- The Stellenbosch GBV Centre is an in-community initiative and a manifestation of a collaboration with all parties involved.
LEADERSHIP GROUP
Following our cross-sector engagement and research, a group of strong leaders, many of whom were known to one another, emerged as active collaborators with the RfPCT initiative.
Dr. Holger Wellmann
Leadership Group Chair.
Mrs. Carol van Zyl
Director of Stellenbosch GBV Centre.
Mrs. Gale Shabangu
Chief Transformation Officer of Mediclinic.
Adv. Bonnie Currie-Gamwo
Head of the National Prosecuting Authoritie’s GBV Unit, tasked by President Rhamaphosa and responsible for Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) nationally.
Mrs. Renee Botha
Programme Manager for the Victim Empowerment Programme of the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD), the department providing social workers to support the NPA’s Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs).
Brig. Sonja Harri
Former head of the SA Police Family Unit in the Western Cape, a deeply experienced senior detective – who has been instrumental alongside Adv. Bonnie, in forging closer relations between our private sector partnerships and the public sector.
Dr. Rhene de Villiers
Former head of the Victoria Hospital Rape Unit, coordinating training.
Mrs. Vonita Thompson
Director of the Western Cape Government Health Dept Forensic Pathology Service.
Dr. Janette Verster
Head of Clinical Department, Division of Forensic Medicine, Department of Pathology at Stellenbosch University.