The South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested more than 200 suspects for rape during operations across the country in a week to intensify efforts in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda van Wyk said over the past week, a total of 201 suspects were arrested for rape during operations across the country.

“Of these, 56 were wanted individuals tracked down in various provinces,” she said.

According to Van Wyk, among the arrests was that of a man and woman in Bloubergstrand, Western Cape, for the alleged sexual abuse of their daughters, aged three and eight.

“Police seized multiple electronic devices during their arrest. They face several charges, including the production of child sexual abuse material (“child pornography”), rape, sexual assault, and sexual grooming,” she stated.

In another recent case, Van Wyk said a 24-year-old suspect was arrested by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Tonga, Mpumalanga, on June 19, 2025, following the gang-rape of a 27-year-old woman earlier this week.

Investigations into this incident are ongoing, she added.

Van Wyk also listed notable convictions this past week, including the sentencing of a 33-year-old serial rapist on June 9, 2025, by the Polokwane High Court.

Lesley Morwamashobe Mohlala was sentenced to 222 years’ imprisonment. “He was found guilty on multiple counts of rape and aggravated robbery.”

In another case, Van Wyk said the East London High Court sentenced a 42-year-old accused to life imprisonment for the rape of a 13-year-old girl, who became pregnant as a result of the assault.

On June 18, 2025, she said the Waterval Regional Court sentenced a 25-year-old man from Tshiozwi, Limpopo, to life imprisonment for raping his nine-year-old cousin in 2021.

Van Wyk said the SAPS remains committed to ensuring justice prevails for victims by “removing sexual predators from our communities”.

As part of a broader initiative, Nomgqibelo Mdlalose, Movement Navigator for the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges, stated that many teams within the movement are working closely with young people to address GBVF at a grassroots level.

With over 200 challenges planned for 2025, the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges are accelerating action against GBVF within courts, municipalities, and higher education.

“Youth engagement isn’t about campaigns or one-day events – it’s a commitment to show up and respond. What’s been powerful to see through the 100-Day Challenge teams is how they’re showing up consistently in the spaces where young people spend most of their time, such as preschools, classrooms, and college campuses,” said Mdlalose.

In the Drakenstein Municipality in the Western Cape, an ambitious effort is under way to train 500 Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers as GBVF first responders.

The movement said on Thursday that over the next 100 days, 15 preschools will become part of a network of care where teachers are trained to identify early signs of abuse and respond in trauma-sensitive ways.

The importance of this work lies in its timing, it said, stating that these are the years when children first learn what safety feels like, when trust is built or broken. And because many survivors never disclose what happened to them as children, interventions at this stage could be life-altering.

“GBVF prevention starts with the relationships and environments that shape how young people understand harm and support avenues,” added Mdlalose.

According to the movement, Taletso TVET College in Mafikeng, in partnership with the National Prosecuting Authority, is fostering accountability and legal literacy through workshops on the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Acts.

These sessions aim to empower students to report abuse and understand their rights, addressing the normalisation of harmful behaviour on campus and the hundreds of GBVF-related misconduct cases reported in higher education.

Limpopo’s 100-Day Challenge teams have held Moot Court sessions for high schoolers, demonstrating sexual offence trials and minimum sentences for rape.

The movement said this teaches young people that violence is wrong and shows them how justice is served, making the law tangible and fairness achievable.

karen.singh@inl.co.za

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