MATATIELE - In any country, childhood should be synonymous with safety and security, but the devastating truth is that countless
children endure fear and betrayal from the very people who are meant to protect them. Children's Parliament President
Khazimla Adams says the case of seven-year-old Cwecwe from Matatiele in the Eastern Cape reflects a broken justice
system that continues to fail the victims of Gender-Based Violence in South Africa.
Cwecwe’s was raped in October 2024 at the Bergview College school grounds.
Despite reports that the mother reported the matter to the police, it was largely ignored for five long months. The recent
publication of the case has ignited anger and frustration among South Africans, including children.
A Call for Urgent Action
Adams says it's ‘unfair and unjust’ for a rape victim to wait five months for justice to take place.
“It is way too long for a child who has suffered trauma. This delay is a message of failure in the justice system,” she says.
Adams has raised concern about the cracks within the justice system, saying they only compound the system's failure to protect children
“We feel unsafe in our own country. There are laws and a Constitution but there is nothing to back it up. The government needs to take
this up. If they say GBV is a pandemic then they must treat it like a disease,” she said.
A Growing Crisis
Cwecwe’s case is not an isolated one, but forms part of a broader, disturbing trend. Between 2018 and 2024, statistics obtained through
a DA parliamentary question in 2024 revealed that over 106,000 child rape cases were reported. That is an average of 316 per month.
Cwecwe’s case reflects a broader, disturbing trend in South Africa. Between 2018 and 2024, statistics obtained through a 2024 DA
parliamentary question revealed over 106,000 reported child rape cases. That's an average 316 per month.
In the Eastern Cape alone, rape accounted for a staggering 45.9% of all reported crimes against children, while nationwide the figure
stood at 38.3%, a figure that's still alarming.
These stark percentages expose the harsh reality that children's safety is far from guaranteed in South Africa.
Inefficiencies in Investigation
The delays in Cwecwe’s case have been compounded by the inadequacies of local authorities. Holekane Women's Support Organisation is the NGO that picked up the case in November 2024.
According to the organisation's Nomvula Qola, their work on the case was hampered by several setbacks, including inefficient investigations by the police and the school's lack of cooperation.
"The investigation officer hadn’t met with the family, witness statements hadn’t been taken, and the school hadn’t reported the incident to the Department of Education."
Qola believes these failures were part of the reason why justice was delayed in Cwecwe’s case and other child rape cases in Matatile. She's criticised the lack of training among local police officers, calling for urgent intervention from the government.
" You would think Investigating officers at the local level are not trained enough to deal with such cases. They do not know where to begin to investigate these cases. This means they are not empowered enough to deal with these cases hence why they take so long,” she said
Education departments deregister Bergview College
The Department of Education, which has been under scrutiny for its delayed response, has explained that its actions were limited by the fact that the school is an independent institution, However, they'd been involved from the beginning.
The School’s Stand
But the school has rejected the Education Department's decision to deregister the institution, labeling the move "illegal and invalid."
School authorities say they plan to approach the High Court, hoping for a resolution before the next term to prevent disruption to students' education.
Police Pledge Accountability
Meanwhile, the South Africa Police Service has since taken over the case. It's promising to leave no stone unturned in tracing the loopholes in the investigation.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says their role is to assess the facts and ensure that due diligence was conducted in this case.
Mathe said they collected DNA from persons of interest but they cannot reveal details as the matter is still under investigation.
By Zandile Khumalo