VICTIM SUPPORT SERVICES BILL (VSS) 2020

articles & Speeches

conferences

general documents

  • Communication Strategy, 2007 - The Victims Charter was approved by Cabinet on 1 December 2004 as per directive from the President’s State of Nation address on 21 May 2004, where he committed to implementation of a Victims Charter, “In the next two months Cabinet will finalise the Victims’ Charter and by the end of this calendar year we will commence with the implementation of the Victims Support Services Programme to attend urgently to the needs of the victims of crime”
  • National Directory on Services for Victims of Crime and Violence that was approved in 2009 and distributed in 2010, compiled by the Department of Social Development (3.4MB, pdf)
  • Crime Victims Rights Week (Concept Paper), September 2011

legislation and policy

NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE SERVICE CHARTER FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME 2007

  • Chapter 1 - Foreword: Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development & List of Acronyms
  • Chapter 2 - Executive Summary
  • Chapter 3 - Conceptual and Contextual Framework
  • Chapter 4 - Background
  • Chapter 5 - Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (Departmental National Five Year Implementation Plan)
  • Chapter 6 - National Prosecuting Authority (Departmental National Five Year Implementation Plan)
  • Chapter 7 - South African Police Service (Departmental National Five Year Implementation Plan)
  • Chapter 8 - Department of Correctional Services (Departmental National Five Year Implementation Plan)
  • Chapter 9 - Department of Social Development (Departmental National Five Year Implementation Plan)
  • Chapter 10 - Department of Health (Departmental National Five Year Implementation Plan)
  • Chapter 11 - Monitoring and Evaluating the National Five Year Implementation Plans
  • Chapter 12 - Annexure

presentations

reports

  • Report on the National Consultative Round Table Review of the Service Charter for Victims of Crime, 31 March 2026
    The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD) convened a National Consultative Round table on 31 March 2026 to formally initiate the review of the Service Charter for Victims of Crime (Victims' Charter) and its Minimum Service Standards. The Round table brought together key stakeholders from government, Chapter 9 and 10 institutions, civil society, academia, international partners, and oversight bodies to reflect on the effectiveness, relevance, enforceability, and implementation of the Victims' Charter since its adoption in 2004. The Round table concluded with consensus that the review of the Victims' Charter must move beyond symbolic commitment towards a robust, enforceable, and victim-centred framework. The DOJ&CD will consolidate the outcomes of the Round table into a formal report and use these inputs to guide further consultations, technical work, and policy development during the new financial year. The National Consultative Round table thus laid a strong foundation for an inclusive, evidence-based reform process aimed at strengthening justice for victims of crime and ensuring that the Victims' Charter delivers tangible, measurable, and equitable outcomes.
  • Consultative Workshop: Victims Charter - July 2010 (Draft)
  • Understanding the South African Victims’ Charter Contextual Issues - 2008
  • Reflections on Victim Empowerment 10 Year Anniversary, 18 to 20 Aug 2008, Durban, KZN
  • Understanding the South African Victims’ Charter A Conceptual Framework - 2008
  • Victims' Charter Progress Report [PART A & PART B] - 2007

Research & monitoring and eveluation

  • CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: UNDERSTANDING THE VICTIMS CHARTER, 2007 - In order to develop an understanding of the Victims Charter it is useful to consider wording and intent of the Charter. This is done by reviewing current wording in the charter and making comparisons with national and international legislation and policy documents. In addition, an understanding of the conceptual framework will assist project partners in the implementation of the Victims Charter.
  • Compendium, 2006- “Victims” means persons who, individually or collectively, have suffered harm, including physical or mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or substantial impairment of their fundamental rights, through acts or omissions that are in violation of criminal laws operative within Member States, including those laws proscribing criminal abuse of power.
  • Monitoring and Evaluation - Proposals [2005; 2007]

stakeholder engagement and mobilisation

  • Public Submission on National Implementation Plan for the Victims Charter, 2007 - The Justice Department and various other government departments are currently engaged in a process of drafting implementations plans for the Victims Charter. As part of the drafting process, the Justice Department has, from November 2006 – June 2007, consulted with provincial government departments.
  • KZN Summit, 2007 - The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in KwaZulu-Natal in KwaZulu-Natal in partnership with the KZN Network on Violence against Women hosted a summit with representatives from civil society organizations and other stakeholders to build on the foundation of the Service Charter for Victims of Crime.