During a recent portfolio committee meeting, MPs expressed grave concerns over the rising rates of gender-based violence and rape, calling for urgent reforms and accountability within the South African Police Service.
Image: File
Rape, consequences for corrupt police officers, and gender-based violence (GBV) were concerns raised by the Portfolio Committee on Police on Wednesday.
Delivering the fourth quarter crime statistics on Friday, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said that in respect of sexual offences, rape increased. Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal contributed 19.1% and 19.9% respectively to the national total.
In the fourth quarter, decreases in rape statistics were recorded in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, and the Western Cape. The fourth quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year is the period covering January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025.
DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard called the rape statistics horrendous and traumatic to the victims and their families, and that the country was not winning the war on GBV.
The conviction rate for those found guilty of rape was low and was a concern for Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, an African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) MP.
Meshoe suggested that the SAPS have regular meetings with the Department of Justice and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to clear out bottlenecks.
“Sometimes the police do their best but when they go to court, the rapist gets an eight-year conviction. This does not instil fear in criminals or those who might commit similar crimes. They have to be taught a lesson that this will not be tolerated in society. Magistrates must issue lengthy sentences,” he said.
Echoing the sentiment that crime statistics should strike fear into would-be criminals was Makashule Gana, a member of RISE Mzansi and an MP.
Gana said some court cases went on for far too long, and this did not bring comfort to law-abiding citizens.
Fadiel Adams, a National Coloured Congress MP, was mainly concerned about the murder rate in Cape Town and the shortage of staff and resources allocated to police stations with high crime rates.
Lisa‐Maré Schickerling, a DA MP, said the SAPS is fighting a war on women that does not want to end.
Schickerling was concerned that policemen were also involved in rape, and one of the members accused of rape was still on duty. She called for the removal of corrupt police officers and remedial action for poor-performing police stations.
“The conviction rate for those found in possession of firearms is very low. Police continuously re-arrest the same culprits for crime, only for them to be released on bail. This was a waste of resources. This is not a good message we are sending to the community,” she said.
Ian Cameron, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, said several police officers involved in crime, including one for rape, are out on bail and working in the police stations and this was a concern.
ANC MP Julian Leseletsi Mokoena called for a reduction in GBV and sexual assault incidents, while Erald Alzano Cloete, an ANC MP, called for the SAPS to enforce proper control of firearms and firearm licences in the country.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola agreed that rape and GBV were a scourge in the country and that police were dealing with it decisively judging from the high number of convictions.
He also agreed that some court cases drag on for many years. Masemola said in one instance, a possession of an illegal firearm case in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, has taken 11 years in court to be finalised.
“We are modernising our firearm application system that will soon be paperless and done online. The phase is supposed to be completed in March 2025, but there are some delays,” he said.
Addressing the issue of police officers facing disciplinary action, Masemola said internal SAPS disciplinary processes were supposed to be concluded within 90 days, but there were instances where they were delayed.
He said those on suspension return to work but were deployed to a different police station.
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