Thousands of South Africans took to the streets on Tuesday in major cities across the country to demand justice for a seven-year-old girl who was allegedly raped at her school last October.
The case has sparked national outrage after the victim’s mother recently shared details of the incident through a podcast and local media outlets, highlighting the authorities’ failure to make any arrests nearly six months after the crime was reported.
In Cape Town alone, more than 2,000 demonstrators marched through the city center, with similar large gatherings in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Durban.
“I have no trust in our justice system, it has always failed us,” said Janine de Vos, a mother of two who participated in the Cape Town protest.
South Africa’s Police Minister Senzo Mchunu announced last week that investigators had identified three suspects, including staff members at the Eastern Cape province school where the incident allegedly occurred. Mchunu assured the public that police were handling the case with “utmost seriousness and priority.”
The protests have highlighted South Africa’s ongoing struggle with gender-based violence and child abuse. According to United Nations figures, one in three South African women experiences physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime, while police statistics show that of the 42,500 rapes reported in 2023-24, 17,100 victims were children.
Despite these alarming numbers, prosecution rates remain low. The National Prosecuting Authority brought only 449 child rape cases to trial during the same period.
In a related development, police announced Tuesday the arrest of a primary school teacher accused of raping a 13-year-old student in the northern part of the country.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube addressed the crisis, stating that the government must ensure “that sexual predators… are not included as staff members at a school” and emphasizing the importance of vetting employees against the sexual offenders register.
The government had previously promised to make the national register of convicted sexual offenders public by the end of February, but legal complications have delayed the process.
Child protection advocates have called for more comprehensive vetting procedures for school staff, improved safety measures in educational institutions, and faster prosecution of sexual offense cases to protect vulnerable children.
