New Comfort Room at Dundee TVET campus helps students facing GBV
Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube has opened a private campus facility in Dundee where students can find support for gender-based violence, mental health and other needs.
Students at Majuba TVET College’s Dundee Campus now have a private place to ask for help after gender-based violence (GBV) or when struggling with their mental health. Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube opened the Comfort Room on Wednesday, SAnews reported.
It is described as the first facility of this kind in KwaZulu-Natal’s post-school education sector. Higher Health, the college and the provincial Department of Health set it up together. The aim is to close gaps in reporting and support that often leave survivors dealing with several institutions on their own.
Why the room is needed
The Deputy Minister cited figures showing 1 820 rapes reported in KwaZulu-Natal in the April to June quarter, the highest total of any province. Police also recorded the murder of 124 women in the province during those three months.
She said these numbers cover only reported cases, as many survivors stay silent out of fear or stigma. Survivors often have to retell their experience at clinics, police stations, social services and courts, which can lead to secondary victimisation and put them off pursuing a case.
The room is meant to link students to counselling, healthcare, police help and psychosocial support. It will also host survivor clubs and clubs that encourage young men to rethink harmful behaviour. Young people living with HIV will have support groups there, and there will be space for conversations about mental health.
Numbers from Higher Health
Dube-Ncube said Higher Health’s work shows students will come forward when safe options exist. Across four years, over 394 000 students completed GBV self-risk assessments, and more than 20 000 of them later asked for help. Over 188 000 young people were identified as needing or seeking psychosocial support.
She added that the facility is part of wider government efforts on GBV, which was declared a national disaster in November last year. She urged college management and student leaders to make sure students know about the room and trust it. She also asked that it be properly staffed, connected to local health services, police and social workers, and that referrals are followed up.
Speaking to young men, she said men commit most of this violence, so the answer cannot rest on women alone. “The solution must also come from men,” she said.
Where to get help
- GBV Command Centre: 0800 428 428, or dial 1207867# from any cellphone
- Higher Health 24-hour student helpline: 0800 36 36 36, or SMS 43336
- Childline: 116 (free)
- SAPS Crime Stop: 08600 10111
- Police in an emergency: 10111
This story is based on reporting by SAnews.
