Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
25 August 2024 | 16:19 CAT

An organisation for GBV has raised its concerns as dockets go missing. File Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers

In the past five years, courts across the nation have been forced to dismiss cases of gender-based violence and femicide (GBV) due to the absence of crucial dockets in the possession of the South African Police Service (SAPS). This is an urgent concern that demands immediate attention.

The SAPS has had to close nearly 300,000 unsolved criminal cases, including a staggering 61,000 rape cases, due to lack of evidence. This is a significant issue that cannot be overlooked.

Authorities have yet to identify the cracks in the system, from the reporting stage to dockets being made available to the courts for prosecution.

The lack of police accountability and under-resourcing are significant factors that contribute to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) cases going unpunished in South Africa. The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) has brought this to light, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability.

National Co-ordinator at NSMSA, Anisa Moosa, said it is unacceptable that a huge number of sexual assault cases remain unresolved.

“The Saps statistics show an increase in cases of assault, attempted murder and murder of women and children. This is a basic human rights issue that has serious and devastating implications for South Africa, where the statistics for GBVF are already amongst the highest in the world. There is a lack of confidence in our justice system that stems from its failure to protect and ensure the safety of those in need,” said Moosa.

Earlier this month, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) raised alarm over revelations that, since 2018, the Saps closed almost 300,000 cases due to insufficient evidence.

According to the union federation, several calls have been made for the police’s capacity-building, but this has yet to be urgently responded to.

“These alarming statistics expose deficiencies in some security clusters, specifically in policing. It cannot be that due to minimal resources and staffing shortages in the SAPS, injustice is peddled to victims of crime. Perpetrators cannot be given a free pass to freedom at the expense of the communities whose confidence in the police is already shaky,” Cosatu said in a statement.

You can listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Anisa Moosa, the National Coordinator at NSMSA, here.