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Tendai Rupapa

Senior Reporter

ZIMBABWE yesterday unveiled a national call centre providing gender-based violence (GBV) victims and survivors a solid care package in the wake of an unprecedented surge in domestic violence cases.

The helpline is a brainchild of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who has taken the bull by its horns and pledged to play a significant role in curbing domestic violence.

The toll-free number is 575 and the National Gender Based Violence Call Centre was set up in her office, whereby victims will be swiftly connected to police victim friendly unit (VFU) or counselling services as appropriate. By yesterday, the call centre was operational with callers getting required assistance from the agents who linked them to various service providers.

The development comes amid worrying statistics which showed an increase in reported GBV cases, including psychological, physical, sexual and all other forms of domestic violence.

Analysis of date between March and May 2020 found that intimate partner violence (IPV) was the most frequently reported form of GBV as 69,5 percent of identifiable perpetrators were intimate partners.

This prompted the First Lady into action and she traversed the length and breadth of the country speaking out against GBV while encouraging victims to report such cases to family elders, the police and village heads.

This also led to the birth of the 575 national call centre which is set to be a game-changer. People assisted on the national gender-based violence toll free line include those with marital problems who are stressing each other through violence and also those being sexually abused including minors. 

Service providers working together with the National call center include the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Victim Friendly Unit, the Adult Rape Clinic, Zaoga for counselling, Musasa Project, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Padare Men’s Forum, among others. 

When someone calls the calls call centre, an agent will listen carefully to determine the nature of the problem and assist the caller if there is no need for escalation. The agent determines the nature of support required basing on the caller’s need. When there is need for escalation, the agent will transfer the caller to the relevant service provider.

The First Lady said it was her wish to see victims and survivors of gender based violence being assisted adding that the initiative will assist victims in accessing services to aid them in their circumstances.

“We saw it fit to rope in other service providers and have a coordinated approach in fighting GBV. There are services that the National call center 575 cannot provide to victims, but which are available to other stakeholders. The callers are referred to relevant service providers.

“I strongly urge people going through difficulties in their marriages to seek counselling and solve their problems without using violence. Violence in the home does not augur well for our young children. We must never use violence because it gets us nowhere. Violence in all its forms must be condemned,” she said.

National director of Padare Enkundleni Men’s Forum on Gender Mr Walter Vengesai expressed gratitude at the birth of the National call centre 575.

“We are happy and we welcome the new call centre 575 provided by the First Lady and hope that it will help those in need and survivors of gender-based violence. We have faith that this will make services accessible to everyone. This is a free number and anyone can call anytime so we are grateful for the work that the First Lady is doing in ensuring that women, men and children are protected against GBV and those that are survivors also get the necessary services that they require. Padare is going to come as one of the service providers for the perpetrators and survivors of GBV who need our services and would have been referred from the national call centre,” he said.

Ms Precious Taru, the executive director of Musasa Project said she was thankful to the mother of the nation for her solution based approach.

“We hope the challenges of violence that we have been witnessing will end and people will get help through that number. It’s a toll-free number that anyone can call anytime at any place. The national helpline will address the challenges of congestion where people struggled to get through to us. As Musasa project we are very happy and excited to be part of this programme because we have always been assisting women, but we are seeing that we are coordinating in a way that will give women a comprehensive package of care. We shall link every woman who visits us with the national call centre,” she said.

The ZRP Victim Friendly Unit, represented by Chief Superintendent Jessy Banda was full of praises for the First Lady and encouraged those in need to make use of the facility.

“We welcome this development by the First Lady on the establishment of the national GBV call centre. We encourage victims of gender based violence to make use of the toll free number. Through this 575 facility, they will be able to be transferred to the ZRP victim Friendly Unit where matters concerning domestic violence and sexual violence are dealt with,” she said.

Chief Supt Banda said the toll-free number had also made it possible for those without money for calls or travelling to get access to justice.

The advent of the national gender based violence call centre 575 which is part of the First Lady’s solutions-based approach is expected to reduce domestic violence cases countrywide.