Sexual offences on the rise
JOHANNESBURG - Government is hopeful its 90-day Gender-Based Violence and Femicide initiative will help address the scourge.
Sexual offences continue to increase while Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal lead in the number of reported rape cases.
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IOL News
5 days ago
- IOL News
Mbalula will not apologise for remarks on Bergview principal, says ANC
The ANC has defended its Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula amid criminal charges from Berview principal. Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers THE ANC has remained unmoved by a criminal complaint against its secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, saying defending outrage against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV-F) is not a crime. The party was responding to reports that Bergview College principal Jaco Pieterse lodged a criminal complaint against him. Represented by AfriForum's Private Prosecuting Unit, Pieterse, alleges that Mbalula, along with EFF leader Julius Malema and Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade, violated his dignity by falsely accusing him of raping a child. Pieterse claims the trio publicly accused him of raping a 7-year-old girl, known as Cwecwe, after her mother suspected that she was raped. Medical reports had since found that there were no traces of sexual assault. Last month the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stopped pursuing the case saying they did not hold enough evidence. However, the ANC has slammed AfriForum's decision to pursue the matter, calling it "disingenuous, ideologically driven, and flawed." The party maintains that defending outrage against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV-F) is not a crime. "We will not apologise for speaking out in defence of the voiceless," ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu wrote in a statement. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading "We call on all progressive forces, including our Alliance partners, the ANC Women's League, youth formations, religious and community organisations, to reject any effort to criminalise outrage and moral clarity in the face of GBV-F,' Bhengu added. The party has reaffirmed its support for Mbalula, saying he carried the voice of millions when he condemned the rape of a seven-year-old girl at Bergview College. "We urge all to act with vigilance against those who exploit the justice system for ideological ends and threaten prosecution against those who defend what is right," the party said. EFF spokesperson Sinawo Tambo had not provided a response on charges being laid against Malema. Pieterse lodged a criminal complaint of crimen-injuria and intimidation at the Sophiatown police station in Gauteng against Mbalula, Malema, and Gade while Mbalula and Malema face additional charges of violating the Cybercrime and Intimidation Acts. In his affidavit, Pieterse asks that the rape docket be included as the first exhibit in his cases, citing the scope and extent of the lies told about him. "The consequences of the reckless and malicious statements made against me have had an irreversible and devastating impact on every aspect of my life," he said Spokesperson for AfriForum's Private Prosecution Unit, Barry Bateman, said the politicians' comments were unjust and violated Pieterse's dignity. "Pieterse was publicly labelled a paedophile, a label that in society's eyes is among the most irredeemable and damning," Bateman said. 'South Africa has a rape crisis, we have a child abuse crisis, and being falsely accused of committing such a crime against a child is devastating,' Bateman said. 'This is why we are pursuing these charges.' Bateman also criticised Mbalula, who he said had referred to Pieterse as 'an animal,' questioning how AfriForum could defend 'an animal who rapes children". 'This is simply unacceptable. There must be consequences for people who falsely accuse others in the public domain,' he said. Bateman added that both Malema and Mbalula have approached the courts in recent years because they felt their dignity had been harmed. 'Malema claimed that accusations of illegal dealings and accepting cocaine from drug dealers had left him feeling 'degraded and humiliated' while Mbalula's court case involved accusations of corruption, which the court found had caused him and his family "actual injury"," Bateman said. Cape Times
IOL News
5 days ago
- IOL News
ANC defends Mbalula amid criminal charges over 'Cwecwe' case
The ANC has defended its Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula amid criminal charges from Berview principal. Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers The ANC has come to the defense of its Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, after Bergview College principal Jaco Pieterse filed criminal charges against him. Pieterse, represented by AfriForum's Private Prosecuting Unit, alleges that Mbalula, along with EFF leader Julius Malema and Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade, violated his dignity by falsely accusing him of raping a child. Pieterse claims the trio publicly accused him of raping a 7-year-old girl, known as Cwecwe, after her mother suspected that she was raped, however medical reports had since found that there were no traces of sexual assault. However, the ANC has slammed AfriForum's decision to pursue the matter, calling it "disingenuous, ideologically driven, and flawed." The party maintains that defending outrage against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV-F) is not a crime. "We will not apologise for speaking out in defence of the voiceless," ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu wrote in a statement. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ "We call on all progressive forces, including our Alliance partners, the ANC Women's League, youth formations, religious and community organisations, to reject any effort to criminalise outrage and moral clarity in the face of GBV-F,' Bhengu added. The party has reaffirmed its support for Mbalula, saying he carried the voice of millions when he condemned the rape of a seven-year-old girl at Bergview College. "We urge all to act with vigilance against those who exploit the justice system for ideological ends and threaten prosecution against those who defend what is right," the party said. EFF spokesperson Sinawo Tambo had not provided a response on charges being laid against Malema. Pieterse filed charges of crimen-injuria and intimidation at the Sophiatown police station in Gauteng against Mbalula, Malema, and Gade while Mbalula and Malema face additional charges of violating the Cybercrime and Intimidation Acts. In his affidavit, Pieterse asks that the rape docket be included as the first exhibit in his cases, citing the scope and extent of the lies told about him. "The consequences of the reckless and malicious statements made against me have had an irreversible and devastating impact on every aspect of my life," he said Spokesperson for AfriForum's Private Prosecution Unit, Barry Bateman, said the politicians' comments were unjust and violated Pieterse's dignity. "Pieterse was publicly labelled a paedophile, a label that in society's eyes is among the most irredeemable and damning," Bateman said. 'South Africa has a rape crisis, we have a child abuse crisis, and being falsely accused of committing such a crime against a child is devastating,' Bateman said. 'This is why we are pursuing these charges.' Bateman also criticised Mbalula, who he said had referred to Pieterse as 'an animal,' questioning how AfriForum could defend 'an animal who rapes children". 'This is simply unacceptable. There must be consequences for people who falsely accuse others in the public domain,' he said. Bateman added that both Malema and Mbalula have approached the courts in recent years because they felt their dignity had been harmed. 'Malema claimed that accusations of illegal dealings and accepting cocaine from drug dealers had left him feeling 'degraded and humiliated' while Mbalula's court case involved accusations of corruption, which the court found had caused him and his family "actual injury"," Bateman said. Cwecwe, whose case was widely supported nationally, was raped last October at a private school in Matatiele. Last month the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stopped pursuing the case saying they did not hold enough evidence. According to NPA national spokesperson Advocate Mthunzi Mhaga, the case docket was first reportedly submitted in November 2024 to prosecutors at the Matatiele Magistrate's Court and the Matatiele Thuthuzela Care Centre. After interviewing the child and conducting a medical examination, prosecutors reportedly determined that the evidence was inconclusive and did not support prosecution. This was later upheld by the Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions after further review.
The Citizen
11-06-2025
- The Citizen
Are police winning the war on Gender-Based Violence?
Despite the challenges, police reported a strong showing in training and enforcement efforts. While nearly 100 police stations in the country still lack a dedicated Gender-Based Violence (GBV) desk, the South African Police Service (Saps) has exceeded several of its performance targets in the fight against gender-based crimes. GBV remains a crisis in South Africa, with alarming rates of women and children falling victim, often at the hands of those closest to them. On Wednesday, Saps briefed the Portfolio Committee on Police on its Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Action Plan. The plan, finalised on 15 January 2025, is aligned with the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF and the term of the Seventh Administration (2025–2029), with an evaluation scheduled for 2028/29. Improving Services Despite the challenges, police reported a strong showing in training and enforcement efforts. 'From 1 April 2024 to 31 December 2025, 8 069 members received proactive GBV training, while 19 263 received reactive training, far exceeding the targets of 4 727 and 11,983 respectively,' the police said in their presentation. Of the country's 1 165 police stations, 1 070 have designated victim-friendly rooms (VFRs), leaving 95 stations to rely on alternative spaces. 'We completed 18 VFRs during the 2024/25 financial year and plan to add another seven in the current year,' Saps told MPs. All provinces scored 100% in meeting the performance criteria for victim-friendly services, offering some reassurance that victims are receiving adequate care where facilities are available. ALSO READ: Police rope in specialised team to probe murder of 14-year-old Lukhona Fose Investigation and Response Saps reported a detection rate of 69.84% for crimes against women (above the 68.13% target) and 63.32% for crimes against children (exceeding the 61.99% target). The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit also grew by 164 members over the past year. First responders have been trained in sexual offences (1 509 officers) and crime scene response (855 officers), strengthening frontline support. ALSO READ: GBV: Convicted Western Cape rapist on the loose a 'direct threat to women's safety' Room for Improvement However, the management of service complaints still has gaps. 'Out of 223 GBVF-related complaints received, only 175 (78.5%) were finalised within the 14-working-day window,' the report noted. Saps is also participating in intersectoral efforts to monitor femicide and is contributing monthly reports to the Department of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities. 'Action plans will be reviewed annually between February and March to incorporate emerging priorities,' police said, as they reaffirmed their commitment to ending GBV and femicide. NOW READ: 'Declare Limpopo a GBV disaster zone' – ANCWL
