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After a five-month delay, the GBV Command Centre has resumed operations. (Brenton Geach/Gallo Images)
After a prolonged five-month delay due to contractual challenges with a service provider, the Department of Social Development has announced the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) is back in operation.
Service was reinstated at 10:00 on Wednesday, following the appointment of a new service provider.
Department spokesperson Bathembu Futshane said the previous service provider's contract was terminated for non-delivery, which led to the service being off-line since July.
"Due to the urgent need to resuscitate the services of the GBVCC, the department had to prioritise making voice services available. This means callers reporting incidents of GBVF will be able to do so by calling the command centre," Futshane added.
"Other methods of making contact with the command centre - such as SMS, Please Call Me, Web-link and WhatsApp services - will be rolled out gradually, in the first quarter of the new year."
READ | How states' GBV call centre collapsed
The 24-hour command centre was launched in November 2013 to provide immediate care, support and counselling to victims of violence by qualified social workers.
It is also meant to help link victims to other government services.
Futshane said to provide the unique service of the GBVCC to geolocate victims of violence, the department would approach the Information Regulator for an exemption of the Protection of Personal Information Act to allow the tracking of victims or potential victims' locations.
South Africans who face any form of GBV can call the command centre on 0800 428 428.
