Women and kids remain vulnerable to crime – stats

Govt is serious about fighting GBV – Mashatile

More than 2,500 women and children were killed in the country between April and September this year.

This means on average, 14 women and children were murdered each day during those six months.

As the country observed the beginning of 16 Days of Activism on Monday, police minister Senzo Mchunu released crime stats for the second quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year (July to September), highlighting a decrease  in three major crime categories – rape, murder and robbery – have decreased compared to the same period in 2023/24. 

Mchunu reported a 5.8% decrease in murder, reflecting a drop of 400 incidents from 6,945 reported in the same period in 2023/24. Rape decreased by 325 [3.1%] cases and robbery with aggravating circumstances declined by 3,422 [8.8%].

Despite this slight decrease, there was a notable increase in crimes against women and children from April and September. 

The stats showed that at least 10 women on an average were raped daily in the country during that period. The numbers also revealed that 1,923 women murdered while 629 children were killed during that six months. 

According to the statistics 3,211 cases of attempted murder on women were reported while there were attempts to kill 914 children between April and September.

Mchunu said GBV has become a national priority. 

“Gender-based violence, which has become a national priority crime, requires our distinct focus, as it continues to devastate families and communities, with a unique set of challenges that demand specialised intervention, thorough investigations, and collaborative solutions,” said Mchunu. 

"The rise in crimes against women and children demands urgent and sustained action. We need every South African to play their part in addressing gender-based violence,” he added.

There were 19,500 rape cases reported, which translates to 106 rapes reported on average daily.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile inaugurated the national launch of the 16 Days of Activism in Rustenburg, North West, on Monday, and said the government is collaborating with various sectors to establish a comprehensive action plan to combat GBV. He described GBV as a "national crisis demanding a national response".

We need every South African to play their part in addressing gender-based violence,” he added.Police minister Senzo Mchunu

This year’s campaign is especially significant in light of a recent Human Sciences Research Council study revealing that most women in SA have suffered physical violence by men at some point in their lives. 

“We will collaborate towards a plan that prioritises the needs of the most vulnerable and guarantees the inclusion of everyone in our joint endeavor to eradicate violence,” he said. 

Brenda Madumise-Pajib, director at Wise4Afrika which advocates for rights of women and children, said there is a need to strengthen the criminal justice system.

"GBV is a pandemic. It doesn't seem like we are making inroads in stopping it. We need to focus on prevention strategies. We need to put every single cent, time and effort on prevention, interventions and strategy. Along the prevention strategy is to strengthen the criminal justice system because that's where things are falling by the cracks... when you have perpetrators believing that they can get away with something because it can take up to two years for police to investigate a rape or a femicide case," she said.

The crime stats also revealed that of the rape cases reported, 77 of them took place on school property where 52 learners were raped by their peers. 

The statistics mentioned that 13 cases of murder took place at schools. 

Theses figures come at the back of the safety school imbizo hosted by Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane on Saturday in Ekurhuleni, where 55 high-risk schools out of 700 in the province were identified. 

The majority of these high-risk schools are located in the Gauteng East District, with 27 identified, followed by 15 in the Ekurhuleni South District and 13 in Ekurhuleni North. 

Despite the presence of private security and patrollers conducting regular searches, some teachers are reportedly assisting students in concealing illegal substances and weapons. 

Chiloane said everyone needs to be searched, including staff members. 

“You search everyone including the principal. No one is left behind. I am not saying I don’t trust teachers but they must also follow the queue. Even the school governing body (SGB) members who are there on the day must be searched. 

“We can’t have accusations that teachers take things from children and say they will keep them safe. It means it’s a syndicate. Even myself, if I am at a school on the day but not part of the search, I must be searched,” he said.

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