Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme

In the late 1990s, the Thohoyandou area in Limpopo's Vhembe District was a place with one of the highest rates of rape in South Africa — and almost no services for survivors. There was no dedicated trauma centre. No specialised counselling. No safe house. Women who were raped or beaten had no formal place to turn.

A group of community members decided to change that. Working with seed funding from the Department of Health, South African Police Services, and local business, they opened South Africa's first 24-hour One-Stop Trauma Centre at Tshilidzini Hospital in September 2001. The committee formally registered as the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Trust in January 2002 — and TVEP was born.

In the two decades since, TVEP has assisted over 27,000 survivors, built a network of 14 rural Help Desks at clinics across the municipality, opened two Safe Houses, run Break the Silence (BtS) campaigns reaching over 55,000 people through community outreach and radio, and established itself as the primary GBV services hub for a district of 500,000 people.

It has done all of this while fighting for its survival against government funders that have repeatedly cut, delayed, or withheld funding. In November 2021, the Limpopo DSD cut TVEP's funding by over 80%, temporarily forcing the organisation to close its doors. Executive Director Tshilidzi Masikhwa told Health-e News at the time that the DSD simply did not care — despite the fact that Thohoyandou had once been declared the rape capital of South Africa, and TVEP was the only organisation standing between that designation and a community of half a million people. TVEP appealed, continued operating, and has since published Integrated Annual Reports for 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24 as a confirmed GBVF Respond Fund partner. Current service status should be confirmed by calling 015 963 1222.

What They Offer Survivors

Two 24-Hour One-Stop Trauma Centres TVEP's two Trauma Centres operate around the clock — accessible at any time for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and related trauma. A One-Stop model means that survivors can access multiple services in one visit: counselling, medical examination referral, HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) linkage, and access to the criminal justice system.

Two Safe Houses Two safe houses provide emergency accommodation for women and children who cannot safely return home after experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault.

14 Rural Clinic-Based Help Desks One of TVEP's most distinctive and important features is its network of 14 Help Desks embedded at rural clinics across Thulamela Municipality — bringing survivor support directly to the communities that need it most, without requiring travel to Thohoyandou. These desks reached 9,017 people over a three-and-a-half-year period.

Access to Justice Programme TVEP's Access to Justice programme ensures that survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and HIV-related stigma can efficiently navigate the criminal justice system — including guidance on case reporting, court processes, and securing outcomes.

HIV/AIDS Support — Positive Support Services A dedicated Positive Support Services Department consolidates HIV-specific work across all of TVEP's projects — including PEP compliance support, HIV testing referral, stigma reduction, and ongoing care for HIV-positive survivors. At one point, TVEP reported 59% compliance with post-exposure prophylactic treatment among rape survivors — a significant public health achievement in a context where PEP compliance is often very low.

LGBTQI+ and Minority Services TVEP explicitly extends its services to LGBTQI+ persons and other vulnerable minorities — recognising that these groups face elevated violence risk and specific barriers to accessing mainstream services in the Vhembe District's traditional community context.

Break the Silence Campaigns TVEP's community education and outreach programme — including radio airtime on Phalaphala FM (national) and community stations, community dialogues, and campaigns — has reached over 74,500 people directly, challenging the silence, stigma, and normalisation of violence that allow GBV to persist.

TVEP: Old Embassy Buildings, Sibasa, Thohoyandou, Limpopo. Phone: 015 963 1222 / 015 964 2310 / 015 963 6791. Email: web@tvep.org.za. Website: tvep.org.za. 24-hour Trauma Centres. Call ahead to confirm current service availability.