Parliament, Tuesday, 15 April 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Police is concerned by the delay in finalising the South African Police Service’s gender-based violence (GBV) investigations into the alleged rape of a seven-year-old child in Matatiele in 2024. The delays feed the perception of a potentially incapable SAPS and further contributes into the erosion of trust between SAPS and communities.
The committee has always emphasised the need for agility and speed in investigating gender-based violence cases to ensure memories are fresh, which is crucial for effective prosecution. Nonetheless, the committee welcomed the assurance that the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations (FCI) Unit in Matatiele followed the standard operating procedure in investigating the matter, while the addition of a Major-General from national should strengthen the team further and augment the capabilities needed to bring the matter to justice.
“We have previously highlighted the need for the Department of Social Development to provide necessary support to the SAPS to assist in GBV cases. That, in this particular case, psycho-social support was only availed on 7 April 2025 when the incident happened in October 2024 highlights systematic challenges, which impede effective prosecution,” said Mr Ian Cameron, the committee Chairperson.
Furthermore, this case has brought to the fore the need to effectively capacitate the FCI. It is unacceptable that the unit has only employed 62.5% of the granted post allocation, which impacts on the quality of service rendered and the turnaround speed of the investigations. The committee is of the view that adequate capacitation of SAPS is the necessary remedy to growing violence in South Africa.
While the DNA analysis in this case has been concluded, the delays as a result of the current 140 000 DNA case backlog impedes other similar cases that also require urgent conclusion. The committee also underscored the capacity challenge within the detectives services of the SAPS that is largely contributing to investigations taking time to be concluded. “What this case has shown is the urgent need to adopt a prosecution-led investigation to ensure that cases are properly investigated and effective prosecution secured,” Mr Cameron said.
Meanwhile, some committee members cautioned against placing undue pressure on the SAPS that could compromise such an investigation. “While activism is a necessary tool to push and bring about social change, the drive should not unintendedly lead to a compromised cases that will not be prosecutable in a court of law. The committee has thus called on all South Africans to be cautious and ensure that while they advocate for justice on this and other cases, they do so with restraint and acknowledgement of the integrity of the investigation,” Mr Cameron said.
The committee reiterates that there must be society-wide action against criminality and GBV. In line with this call, the committee intends to convene a meeting with sister portfolio committees to assess the broader trend of violence against children, which is on the rise. The committee will invite, among others, the portfolio committees on Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities; Justice and Constitutional Development; and Social Development.
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