According to the latest SAPS crime statistics for Q3 2024/25 (1 October–31 December 2024), women in South Africa experienced: 961 murders – that’s 11 women killed every day 11,803 rapes – more than 131 per day, or 5 every hour 16,023 cases of assault GBH – 45 women seriously assaulted every day.

And these are only the reported cases. Thousands more remain invisible—buried in silence, fear, or distrust of a system that too often fails them.

By comparison, terrorism kills around 1,667 people per month globally. South African women alone face nearly 12,000 violent attacks every month—yet we see no comparable public outrage or mobilisation. If foreign terrorists murdered and raped women at this scale, there would be a national shutdown. Troops in the streets. Special task teams. A presidential address. Instead, we get press conferences and broken promises.

Yes, South Africa does have Sexual Offences Courts—originally reintroduced in 2013 to offer a more supportive environment for survivors. But: There are just over 100 courts for the entire country—far below what’s needed. Many are under-resourced, inconsistently staffed, or not fully operational SOC’s are not backed by permanent legislation, which limits their stability and expansion. Rural and high-crime areas often have no access to these specialised courts at all

In short: the idea exists—but the implementation is too limited, too slow, and too fragile. Forensic backlogs are growing. Cases drag on for years. Survivors face retraumatisation in court. And far too many perpetrators go free. South African women are terrorised daily—with little hope of justice. We cannot continue to describe this crisis with soft language. It is time to act.

Action Society is calling for:

Violence against women to be declared a national disaster.
Urgent investment in Public-Private Partnerships to strengthen investigative and forensic capacity
The expansion and permanent legislation of Sexual Offences Courts—ensuring access in every district
Better-trained prosecutors and magistrates to prioritise gender-based violence Enforcement of mandatory minimum sentences and the closure of legal loopholes
This is not a women’s issue. It’s a national emergency. Raise your voice. Share this message. Demand accountability. Contribute to Action Society to support our campaign for safety, justice, and reform. Because silence protects the predator—not the victim.

Juanita du Preez is Action Society Spokesperson

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According to Juanita du Preez, spokesperson for Action Society, the backlog of more than 41 000 unresolved ballistic cases is further proof that the state-run forensic system is no longer capable of delivering justice.

“The backlog in the SAPS Ballistics Division is a national emergency, but it is also a symptom of something far deeper,” Du Preez said. “The centralised forensic model is collapsing. Unless South Africa allows qualified private forensic laboratories to assist under strict oversight, the wheels of justice will remain stuck.”

Testifying before the commission on 27 October, Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela, head of the Ballistics Section at the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory in Silverton, Pretoria, confirmed that the unit is crippled by staff shortages and growing delays that jeopardise firearm investigations nationwide. Of the 41 846 outstanding cases, 21 732 are from 2025 alone, leading to cases being struck from court rolls and evidence growing cold.

Action Society warned that the ballistics backlog forms part of a much wider forensic breakdown, with DNA and toxicology backlogs even worse. “Hundreds of thousands of DNA samples remain unprocessed, which means rape and murder investigations across the country are paralysed,” Du Preez said. “Both the DNA and ballistics crises stem from the same problem: a centralised and mismanaged system that has lost capacity, credibility, and public trust.”

The organisation says that public-private partnerships and decentralisation are the only viable way to clear the backlogs, restore accountability, and rebuild capacity within the forensic environment.

“Private forensic capacity in South Africa already meets international standards. There is no reason why these laboratories cannot be contracted to assist with DNA, toxicology, and ballistics testing,” Du Preez added. “It is time to take forensic work out of bureaucratic paralysis and put it in the hands of professionals who can deliver results.”

Behind every one of these cases is a family living in uncertainty. Parents who cannot bury their children with closure, survivors who are forced to relive trauma each time a case is postponed, and families who attend hearing after hearing only to hear that evidence is still outstanding. The human cost of delay is devastating and far-reaching, Action Society said.

In the Charlene Pretorius case, the murder trial before the Pretoria High Court has been repeatedly postponed because of outstanding toxicology and forensic reports. More than two years after her death in May 2023, the toxicology results remain incomplete, delaying closure for her family.

In the case of Nonkululeko Gabriella (Gaby) Luenza Ndaba, who went missing in Boksburg on 26 May 2023 and was found dead six days later. An inquest was opened into her death. The investigative team confirmed that toxicology results for inquests can take up to ten years, meaning families may wait a decade before a death is even officially recognised as a murder.

“These backlogs do not only stall justice; they destroy trust and deepen the pain of those already broken by violent crime,” Du Preez said. “Every delayed forensic report represents a victim still waiting and a perpetrator still free. Decentralisation is not a luxury; it is a moral necessity if we want victims to see justice in their lifetime.”

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Action Society has accused SAPS of downplaying the extent of the crisis for the past two years, creating a human rights violation that infringes upon South Africans’ constitutional rights to equality, fair administrative action, and access to courts. The organisation has called on the Auditor-General of South Africa to urgently investigate the backlog and further urged SAPS to enter into public-private partnerships with private forensic laboratories and universities to accelerate DNA testing and analysis.

“DNA evidence is one of the most powerful tools in crime-fighting, yet despite the government’s repeated promises, especially regarding gender-based violence (GBV), SAPS has failed to take decisive action. Thousands of victims of rape and violent crime, as well as families of murder victims, are left in limbo while perpetrators walk free,” said Action Society spokesperson, Juanita du Preez.

The DNA backlog crisis is not new. In 2020, forensic testing ground to a halt when then-Police Minister Bheki Cele failed to ensure payment for the PCEM system, causing the system to shut down and creating an initial backlog of over 125,000 cases, 92% of which were related to sexual assault kits. In April 2021, Action Society revealed that the backlog had escalated to 241,152 cases. By July 2021, the backlog exceeded 300,000 cases, prompting Action Society to file a complaint with the Public Protector.

“It is inconceivable that despite various interactions and interventions, as well as the reprioritisation of funding to resolve the backlog and ensure the scientific-based prosecution of cases, the backlog remains stubbornly high. This will lead to cases being removed from the court roll, allowing criminals to walk free. Those in authority must be held accountable for this mess, it is a clear case of dereliction of duty,” stated Ian Cameron, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police.

The Office of the Public Protector (OPP) took two years to respond to Action Society’s complaint against Cele, President Cyril Ramaphosa, SAPS, the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), and the FSL. Its 2023 report found that financial mismanagement, including under-budgeting, under-spending, and failure to renew supplier contracts, was a key driver of the backlog. Additionally, the report highlighted that SAPS’ centralised procurement system created inefficiencies, and forensic laboratories were inadequately equipped, with poor layouts and insufficient storage capacity further hampering workflows.

Despite multiple commitments to Parliament, SAPS has failed to renew critical service contracts for forensic equipment, resulting in unusable machinery and a worsening backlog. Furthermore, SAPS leadership has ignored recommendations to collaborate with universities that have forensic capabilities, demonstrating a continued disregard for practical solutions. The ongoing mismanagement of forensic services has severely compromised the justice system, delaying or outright preventing criminal prosecutions.

“In 2021, in the midst of the worst backlog crisis within the division, SAPS management stood in front of everyone and made commitments that they have now seemingly disregarded. It is unacceptable that measures promised to ensure the National Forensic Science Laboratories’ productivity were nothing more than lip service,” Cameron emphasised. “People must be held accountable.”

In response, Cameron has announced that he will formally request the Office of the Auditor-General to conduct a full forensic audit of SAPS’ DNA processing, forensic laboratory operations, and contract management. “It is clear that the public deserves transparency on where the failures are occurring, who is responsible, and what must be done to fix it.”

The Portfolio Committee on Police and Action Society insist that SAPS’s Forensic Laboratory Services must be urgently restructured and stabilised to ensure that DNA evidence can be processed efficiently. “If SAPS management is not held accountable for this ongoing failure, trust in South Africa’s criminal justice system will continue to deteriorate,” Cameron warned.

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According to civil rights organisation Action Society, this underscores the fact that the Crime Statistics reveal only a fraction of the true problem of violence against women and children in South Africa and that physical and sexual abuse have become normal in relationships.

According to the study a total of 36% of women in South Africa – an estimated 7.8 million – have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse at some point in their lives and that 24% – an estimated 3.4 million – have experienced it at the hands of an intimate partner.

The study commenced in February 2022 and respondents were asked to reveal if they had experienced violent or sexual abuse during the 12 months before. From the results, an estimated total of 1 338 336 women were abused roughly between January and December of 2021 and 432 525 women were sexually abused.

“Worryingly, according to the same period’s crime statistics only 47 721 cases of Assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm (Assault GBH) were reported and 97 825 cases of sexual offences including rape were reported,” Action Society said.

“A very worrying trend is that the majority of violent crimes are reported in non-married, cohabitating relationships.”

“The study should serve as a wake-up call to women. If you enter into a cohabitating relationship, especially with someone with a tendency to abuse alcohol and who shows a pattern of controlling behaviour, you are very likely to become a victim of physical or sexual abuse,” Action Society said.

“We urge women who fall prey to abuse to get out of violent relationships and to report the crimes. We need to change the narrative around violence against women and children and we will only succeed if a clear message is communicated regarding unacceptable behaviour in relationships,” the organisation concluded.

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“A shortage of police officers in general and a lacklustre and haemorrhaging detective and intelligence service means many criminal cases go unsolved. This, coupled with a DNA backlog, leaves thousands of victims without justice and many more waiting endlessly in limbo for their cases to even begin,” the organisation said in a statement.

“This report, shocking and disappointing as it is, comes as no surprise. It confirms what Action Society has been saying since its inception – the police are failing South Africans. The Department of Police, Minister Mchunu, SAPS management and all law enforcement officials should not only take note of the report’s findings but implement practical and effective measures to overhaul the whole police service,” said Juanita du Preez, Action Society spokesperson.

Of most serious concern are personnel capacity and performance, forensic services, including the criminal buccal sample database and the DNA backlog, critical services such as the 10111 call centre, and discipline within the SAPS.

Personnel capacity and performance

Action Society said it sees the direct results of inexperienced, overworked, and unmotivated police officers daily. “The concerning decrease in the Detective Service Division from 26 000 in 2016/17 to 17 000 in October 2023 is a major red flag and the primary reason for the delay of justice that victims of crime face. The AG’s report shows that detectives who are still operating are not meeting their targets, especially when it comes to contact crimes and crimes against children. The report revealed that the detective branch only solved 45.89% of cases brought to them. This trend continues with crimes against children under 18 years, with only 63.07% of these being solved, a total of 38 998 cases out of 61 828.”

10111 Call centres

Action Society said its surveys have shown that South Africans would rather call private security firms, CPFs (Community Policing Forums), or neighbourhood watches in an emergency than the police’s 10111 call centres. The AG found that the national average rate of abandoned calls stood at 26.44% at some centres, recording an average response time ranging from 8 to 35 minutes.

Discipline within the SAPS ranks

“The ongoing Blue Light Mafia case revealed that police brutality is carried out with impunity in South Africa. The disciplinary hearing of the eight officers who assaulted motorists in July last year continues to move at a snail’s pace, with the defence employing numerous delay tactics to protect these officers from jail time. It serves as one example of the lack of discipline in the police,” Action Society said.

In 2023/24, a total of 1 639 disciplinary hearings were held, and 2 862 SAPS employees were found guilty on various charges, including, amongst others, misconduct bringing the Service into disrepute, murder, rape, defeating the course of justice, corruption and assault GBH.

“Although much of the shocking revelations of this year’s annual report can be attributed to the legacy of former minister of police, Bheki Cele as well as the senior management of the police, it is time to move on. Minister Mchunu has a mountainous challenge ahead of him if he wants to undo the damage done to the police by his predecessor. Action Society believes in coming up with solutions, and we hope to build a working relationship with the new minister and the rest of his cabinet that will allow for cooperation that is conducive to combating crime in South Africa before it spirals out of control into complete anarchy,” concluded du Preez.

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During a recent briefing by the Department of Correctional Services, one of the members of the committee brought up the fact that up to 40% of parolees go on to reoffend and commit serious crimes. These crimes include rape, murder, assault and robbery. “With shocking crime stats still fresh in our minds, it is harrowing to realise how many of these crimes would have been avoided if dangerous parolees had been kept off the street,” said Action Society spokesperson, Juanita du Preez.

“To make matters worse, last year SAPS revealed that they do not keep records of parolees nor are they aware of their whereabouts. These shocking facts were revealed in a two-page response in August last year on a request for access to information that Action Society sent to the South African Police Service (SAPS) on 18 January 2023,” the civil rights organisation said.

“In August last year, President Ramaphosa granted a special remission, resulting in the release of approximately 14 651 offenders, both conditionally and unconditionally, and the freeing of an estimated 20 855 probationers and parolees. This decision, taken in the absence of a robust and accountable criminal justice system, underscores the need for comprehensive reforms in our approach to law enforcement and criminal justice. In the meantime, strengthening community engagement and empowering provinces to manage their own policing can provide immediate relief and a path forward to a more secure and just South Africa,” Action Society said.

“We believe that the overhaul of the parole system is one of the key points that should receive immediate attention in the fight against crime. Dangerous offenders cannot even be considered for parole. The current parole system doesn’t lead to rehabilitation, it leads to reoffenders and this cannot be allowed. The parole system is being abused to cheat justice. There needs to be reform and change to keep the people of South Africa safe and we hope that this committee will take these matters seriously and come up with effective solutions,” said du Preez.

Another concern raised was medical parole acting as a type of ‘get out of jail free card.’ According to some members, inmates who are released on medical parole after being declared ‘terminally ill’, oftentimes completely slip out of the system and are found years later to be back in society and completely healthy. Former president Jacob Zuma is an obvious example, Action Society pointed out.

The Committee all agreed that parolees that reoffend is one of their biggest challenges. They also said that they will involve the Minister of Justice and promised that any new legislation or changes to legislation will be done in the next 24 months so that they do not fall behind.

“We urge the committee not to delay for 24 months, but to prioritise the parole issue for the next 12 months,” Action Society concluded.

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In July 2023, eight officers of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s blue light convoy were captured on video accosting and assaulting civilians they forced off the road for allegedly not obeying orders to move out of the convoy’s way.

Calling for accountability, Action Society raised concerns that despite the seriousness of the charges facing the eight officers involved, “progress on both the internal disciplinary hearing and the criminal court case has been exceptionally slow.” Further, the group said the accused officers’ use of various delay tactics was causing frustration and “eroding public trust in our justice system.”

Juanita du Preez, Action Society spokesperson, said that the accused’s tactics “border on the ridiculous and surreal, and a complete waste of the South African taxpayer’s money.” She further explained “on 7 August they fired their representative only to re-appoint him 20 minutes later. They then promptly informed the chairperson that he must be given more time to familiarise himself with the case as he is now their ‘new representative’.”

Respecting that IPID did not have control over the “protracted nature” of the criminal proceedings, du Preez noted IPID does have control over the internal disciplinary investigation into the SAPS Members actions.

“We therefore urgently request detailed feedback regarding IPID’s investigation into the conduct of the VIP Protection Unit members involved in this case. Specifically, we seek to understand the current status of IPID’s probe, including any findings that have been made and the steps IPID intends to take against these officers,” said du Preez

Action Society again called for the immediate suspension of the eight accused officers. “We wish to remind IPID that their mandate is to investigate police misconduct independently and that it is not necessary to wait for the conclusion of either the internal disciplinary hearing or the criminal court case to take decisive action,” noted du Preez.

Further, she sought to remind those at IPID that the directorate “has an obligation to act against perpetrators, particularly when there is clear evidence of wrongdoing.”

The letter issued by Action Society additionally called for IPID to be decentralised, with the group stating it would “go a long way in combating corruption, incompetence and brutality within the police.”

Action Society has repeatedly advocated for IPID to be granted status as a Chapter 9 Institution, with du Preez saying “without that type of authority, IPID is more of a bouncer than a watchdog.”

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The Bill is intended to enable IPID to investigate alleged offences regardless of whether officers were or were not on duty at the time. The Presidency noted “the new law entrenches the institutional and operational independence of IPID and makes it clear that the directorate must be independent, impartial and must exercise its powers and functions without fear, favour or prejudice.”

Since inception, the Bill has been publicly opposed by the Democratic Alliance (DA), with their core complaint being the inadequate provision for Parliamentary oversight and independence in the appointment of the Executive Director, which the DA states is contrary to the directive of a Constitutional Court directive.

“Our laws must guarantee the highest degree of independence for the Executive Director so that he or she may exercise their functions without fear, favour, or prejudice,” the DA said, adding that it believes the Bill fails to guarantee the necessary independence and mechanisms for appointing the Executive Director, and does not ensure robust Parliamentary oversight and a watertight selection process. The DA argues the recent amendments “simply retain the status quo.”

“It allows the Minister to constitute his own internal panel to interview and shortlist candidates but does not make express provision to guarantee that the panel members are both experienced in law enforcement and politically unaligned. The candidate eventually nominated by the Minister, following the panel’s assistance, is then presented to the Portfolio Committee on Police for consideration for the first time.”

Previously, the DA proposed establishing an independent panel of experts, chaired by a retired judge. This panel would interview and shortlist potential candidates for the Executive Directorship, then recommending a candidate to the Minister for appointment.

According to the DA, this would have ensured the panel tasked with recruiting the national police watchdog’s top job was both independent and well-versed in law enforcement.

Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez stated, “for IPID to be a genuinely independent institution as an effective watchdog over the police, it should also be a Chapter 9 Institution. Without that type of authority, IPID is more of a bouncer than a watchdog,”

Du Preez noted “the increased parliamentary oversight will bring a measure of independence and that our elected parliamentarians will act responsibly in their role as watchdog over the watchdog.” She further added however, “as the Act now stands, there is still too much room for political misuse within IPID.”

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