Gauteng has seen a concerning rise in sexual offences during the second quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year, according to the provincial crime statistics released in Boksburg, Johannesburg. These offences include rape, sexual assault, attempted sexual offences, and domestic violence. The timing of the report coincides with South Africa's observance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Women and Child Abuse campaign.
Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, Tommy Mthombeni, highlighted that combating abuse against women and children remains a top priority through operations like Operation Shanela. He acknowledged the significant concern over sexual offences, noting that many of these crimes occur in private settings, making them harder to address. Mthombeni urged the public to collaborate with law enforcement and emphasized that over 97,000 initiatives had been focused on adults to help tackle these issues.
In a related effort, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi joined the ANC Womens League in a march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest gender-based violence and femicide. The march culminated in the presentation of a memorandum of demands to President Cyril Ramaphosa, urging further action to combat these persistent issues.
