Latest news with #Cwecwe
19 hours ago
- Health
Death penalty for ultra-violent crimes against our children?
It's Child Protection Week. Let's talk about the death penalty. Or at least talk about holding an emergency referendum on whether South Africa should reinstate capital punishment for – if nothing else – hardcore violent and violating crimes against our children, including kidnapping and trafficking. Child Protection Week is happening at a time when the world's spotlight is once again upon us (as if we hadn't had enough by now) for all the wrong reasons – including the growing rampant scourge of violence and abuse against children (and women) in this country. In just the past month South Africa has been snowed by a spate of unspeakable violent crimes against women and children, reigniting that ancient, divisive, incendiary argument and public debate on capital punishment. And many by now are asking the big overdue question: Is it time to bring back the death penalty? Here are just a few headlines and cases of violent crimes against children in SA that have surfaced, shocked and enraged the nation – and the world – over the past few weeks alone. Last Thursday, 29 May, the Western Cape High Court sentenced Racquel 'Kelly' Smith and her two co-accused, boyfriend Jacquin 'Boeta' Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn to life imprisonment and ten additional years for kidnapping and trafficking Smith's 6-year-old daughter, Joslin. The sentencing comes after, on 2 May this year, the court found Smith guilty of selling Joslin to a sangoma (traditional healer) for R20,000 who was interested in the child's striking green eyes and fair complexion. (Ponder on that…) Joslin Smith is still missing. Of course, if by now Joslin has been (insert worst-case scenario here) Kelly Smith and her co-accused are complicit and culpable in that too. The country was still reeling from the disappearance and hunt for Joslyn when the case of Cwecwe emerged and enraged the nation. On 14 October 2024, seven-year-old 'Cwecwe' was (initially) reportedly raped at her school, Bergview College, in Matatiele, Eastern Cape, while she was waiting for her transport. Thousands of citizens and dozens of celebrities came out in support of the child. 'Justice for Cwecwe' was trending. Unfortunately, the investigation was bungled when the police authorities falsely accused the principal of the school of the crime – which led to the school being deregistered by the Eastern Cape Department of Education before an investigation was completed. AfriForum advocate Gerrie Nel, who is representing the principal of Bergview College, believed the child was raped at a party, not at the school. What's further enraged the country is the fact that the investigation into Cwecwe's case has been dropped by the National Prosecuting Authority, due to 'lack of evidence'. The NPA's announcement on 17 May that no one will be prosecuted for Cwecwe's case has been met with sharp criticism and protests from activists and the public. On the 13 May, eleven-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek went missing after he failed to return home from school. The child's scholar driver assured the family that Jayden was dropped off at the gates of his complex in Fleurhof, Johannesburg while his mother was working from home. Yet, he never made it inside. The following morning, a resident discovered his lifeless, bruised and partially undressed body on a staircase in the complex, just metres from his home. On Saturday 17 May, a large group of angry residents and community members marched to the Florida police station and handed over a memorandum of demands to officials, calling for justice and greater accountability. SAPS Gauteng has said that its investigation into Jayden-Lee's murder is at an advanced stage, though no arrests have been made. Jayden-Lee Meek was laid to rest at Westpark Cemetery on Saturday 24 May 2025. Last Saturday, 31 May, 14-year-old grade 8 pupil Likhona Fose went missing from her home in Braamfischerville, Johannesburg where she lived with her grandmother. The next day, her mutilated body was discovered by a passerby in the veld at Durban Deep, Roodepoort. Gauteng MEC Matome Chiloane dispatched trauma counsellors to Ikusasalethu, the secondary school Likhona attended. The MEC said police are 'still investigating the circumstances surrounding this brutal incident' and extended sincerest condolences to the family and the school community. On Monday, 2 June, a 50-year-old sangoma and 32-year-old mother appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court facing charges of premeditated murder and human trafficking of the mother's two-year-old baby, Kutlwano Shalaba. 'It is alleged that on 10 November 2024, the mother of the child (Kuneuwe Shalaba) took the child to the sangoma (Sebokoana Khounyana) and requested him to kill her child because she was not happy with the gender of the baby and was tired of hiding it from her family,' according to police. Shalaba reportedly poisoned her child to death, the two then buried her body in a shallow grave in Waterpan. The case against a 29-year-old man accused of raping and impregnating an 11-year-old girl resumed last month on 22 May in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court, drawing renewed attention to a harrowing ordeal that allegedly spanned several years. The young victim, now four months pregnant, was reportedly assaulted by the accused in December of last year. However, court proceedings revealed that the abuse may have started when the girl was just five years old, meaning the alleged crimes persisted for nearly six years before being reported. The accused is known to the victim's family, with the assaults allegedly taking place during visits to his home. DNA tests are yet to determine whether the suspect is indeed the perpetrator. A shocking incident rocked Cape Town last month where a parolee, who served time for rape, has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping a nine-year-old girl in Hanover Park. On 20 May 2025, the child was found in the suspect's house, during a frantic search by the community, where she is believed to have spent at least five hours. The accused is alleged to have lured the girl as she walked to her Madrasa (Islamic school) by offering her R20 to buy him milk and return the item to his house. The suspect was sentenced to 25 years in jail for rape and indecent assault in 2008 but was placed on parole in November 2024. The appalling incident has sparked fury among locals, who are demanding answers from authorities as to why a known predator was allowed back on their streets. Heard enough…? Because, plenty more where that came from. That's just tip of the insidious iceberg, folks. And that's just the kids. In an article in IOL yesterday, 2 June, responding to the murders of Likhona Fose and adult victim Olerato Mongale, Jonisayi Maromo wrote; 'South Africa is a dangerous place for women and girls'. Duh, ya think! He quoted the secretary-general of civil rights group #NotInMyName, Themba Masango, who said: 'The murders of Olerato and Likhona are yet another painful reminder that South Africa remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman (or child). How many more must die before we collectively say: Enough is enough?' Responding to the conviction of Kelly Smith in an interview with SABC News , Refilwe Mokoena (child safety and protection manager) from the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund said: 'From our perspective, justice has been served, the perpetrators have been held accountable. But children are still so vulnerable in our society and we need further preventative efforts to protect them.' The interviewer then asked: 'Can we really say that justice has been served in this regard when it comes to child safety?' 'A strong message has been sent that crimes against children will not go unpunished. But there are so many incidents similar to Joslin's that don't receive this level of national visibility. For every Joslin, there are millions of others we don't even get to know about,' Mokoena answered. (Did you catch that? She said…'millions'. If she's right, if she's not grossly exaggerating…then we have a BIG fu****? problem, don'tcha think?) 'Children basically are not safe in our country,' Mokoena added. Security analyst Neil de Beer takes a slightly more radical position on how the Smith trial should've ended. In an interview with BizNews TV , former MK agent and security advisor to Nelson Mandela, De Beer (who was also peripherally involved in the police manhunt for Joslin) told journo, Chris Steyn: 'What those people did to that child…if I was a judge I would unequivocally sentence them to hang.' Visibly quivering with rage, De Beer's eyes reddened as he teared and choked up when he said: 'A child. A beautiful little girl…was sold. You took that little girl's life, you should pay for it with your life.' 'But in this country, you don't serve life,' he said. 'In this country, if you murder, you are out in 12. You are out in eight.' 'I'm telling you, if you had a referendum on Monday, to bring back the death penalty, you're going to get an 80% majority.' De Beer's not the only public figure calling for a return to capital punishment. Over the years, leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Gayton McKenzie, has repeatedly called for the return of the death penalty to deal with the high level of violent crime in the country. Back in June 2023, during an interview on The Black Pen podcast, McKenzie said: 'The state must have the right to kill. People argue that the death penalty is not a deterrent. I was a criminal, and I am telling you the death penalty is a deterrent.' He said that having been a gangster, he had learnt that taking out the leader of the gang was enough to stop gang wars. On 17 May this year, McKenzie, who also serves as minister of Sport, Arts and Culture in the Government of National Unity (GNU), reiterated his position on the death penalty during the launch of the PA's municipal election campaign at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Addressing a crowd of thousands of supporters with a fiery, impassioned speech, McKenzie emphasised the need for harsher punishments to combat the rising crime rates in South Africa. 'Let us bring back the death penalty. If you kill, we must kill you,' he said. In an interview with CNN's Larry King in September 2009, Judge Judy Sheindlin was asked about her thoughts on the application of the death penalty. 'In a clear-cut case, where there is no issue as to whether or not, this was the perpetrator of this atrocity…I believe in my soul that it should be an option,' Sheindlin said. Then King asked the judge: 'Could you sentence someone to death?' She paused, before replying: 'Yes, I could. If…there was no question in my mind that this was the perpetrator…' King interjected: 'You could send him to his death?' Sheindlin nodded confidently and said: 'I could say…'Arrivederci' [Italian for 'Goodbye'].' 'There are certain people who – despite our best efforts and all of God's good work – are wired wrong. You gotta either kill 'em or put 'em away…so that they can't ever hurt anyone else,' she added. Must say, when it comes to hardcore violent crimes against our kids? I'm kinda leaning towards De Beer, McKenzie and Judge Judy on this one. Maybe it is time for a long-overdue, urgent, national referendum on capital punishment for violent crimes against minors? Never mind the special task force investigating 'offensive' social media posts and misgendering online, let's get our priorities straight… In my perfect world, the kids would be a sacred and untouchable red line. A world where our women and children could walk down the street, in the middle of the night – bu**-naked if they so choose – and no one will harm them. Because no one would dare. If we can unite the whole nation so easily behind a football or rugby tournament, why can't we unite the country behind this one simple idea: protect the children, at all costs. Whatever threatens the kids…must be eliminated. And maybe reinstating capital punishment is the only way to end the scourge of violence against minors in this country and restore some sense of safety, security and normalcy in our society, where, as Roger Waters once dreamed… 'Everyone has recourse to the law… and no one kills the children anymore.' Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Attacks on children — the scourge of violent crime affecting SA's most vulnerable
As South Africa enters Child Protection Week, recent high-profile incidents of violence against children cast long shadows over advocacy efforts. For every such crime spotlighted by media or civil society organisations, many others appear to go unnoticed and unpunished. 'Mother sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for murder of three-year-old.' 'Teacher sentenced to life imprisonment for rape of a learner in class during school hours.' 'Two life sentences for a father who exploited his daughter in a child pornography operation.' 'Gang members sentenced to 35 years for child murder.' These are lines from National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) media releases issued in recent weeks. There have been more than 25 statements involving child victims in the past month alone. The crimes against the children in these cases have been heard and deliberated on in a court of law, but for many minor victims of murder, attempted murder, sexual offences and assault, justice remains out of reach. As South Africa enters Child Protection Week (29 May to 5 June), recent high-profile incidents of violence against children cast long shadows over advocacy efforts. These include the cases of Joshlin Smith, whose whereabouts remain unknown after her mother and two others were convicted of kidnapping and selling the then six-year-old in the Western Cape; and *Cwecwe, a seven-year-old girl from the Eastern Cape whose alleged rape has yet to be taken on for prosecution by the NPA, due to 'insufficient evidence' in the case docket originally presented by the police. Statistics – lessons and limitations The South African Police Service's (SAPS) annual crime reports show a rise in reported cases of certain contact crimes against children in recent years. Between 2021/22 and 2023/24, the number of recorded child murders rose by 383, from 1,273 to 1,656. In the same period, attempted murders rose by 442, from 1,371 to 1,813; and cases of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm rose by 196, from 7,575 to 7,771. The total reported sexual offences committed against children dropped by 1,542 between 2021/22 and 2023/24, from 23,379 to 21,837. These statistics are shocking, but they are only one part of the story. They don't show the unreported cases, the social ills that leave children vulnerable to abuse or the scars that survivors of childhood violence are made to bear for a lifetime. Luke Lamprecht, head of advocacy for the Gauteng-based nonprofit Women and Men Against Child Abuse, noted that in cases such as crimes of sexual violence against children, the number of incidents reported to police were only a fraction of those shown to be occurring through research. 'A lot of people don't go to the police, and that's for lots of very complicated reasons – largely because of a lack of faith in the system, which I believe to be the primary reason. Then there's obviously issues like threats and inaccessibility,' he explained. 'Of those that were reported, we're getting a conviction rate somewhere in the vicinity of… between 4% and 7%… That translates into the amount of people on the sex offender register.' The challenge of using SAPS statistics as an indicator of crime levels against children was that the numbers were often 'simply a measure of the amount of faith people have in our system', continued Lamprecht. 'In fact, if the stats decrease it's a bad thing. It means less people are reporting – because I can guarantee you, it's not that less children are being abused,' he said. It is difficult to determine whether there has been a rise in violence against children without a recent nationally representative survey, according to Professor Catherine Ward, director of the Centre for Social Science Research at the University of Cape Town. 'Service providers find increases for a variety of reasons, sometimes for good reasons where parents are reporting,' she said, adding that violence against children was an ongoing problem in South Africa. Escalating brutality against children Some children's advocates reported observing increases in certain forms of violence against children in recent years, based on their organisations' engagements with victims and cases. Patric Solomons, director of the nonprofit Molo Songololo in the Western Cape, said there appeared to have been an increase in the number of 'very violent crimes' against children, including those involving children committing crimes against other minors. Molo Songololo provides direct support and social services to children who are victims of crime, including sexual violence and trafficking, in Atlantis, Delft, Beaufort West and the surrounding areas. 'We also find that there is an increase in particular kinds of crime as things shift and change within society. For example, at the moment, one of the things that we see is that access to children [is] not only on the physical level… but also online… Online crime has increased as more and more children have access to devices… They can access people, and people who intend to harm them also have access to them,' he explained. 'We found that in certain areas where there's high levels of dysfunction and violence in general, and also organised gangs, there tend to be spikes when crime happens… These spikes often increase when there's a rivalry among gangs.' Lamprecht echoed Solomons's concerns about the dangers of internet access for children, highlighting the 'frightening' volume of child sexual abuse material emerging online. 'If I look just at my work, what has definitely increased… is the level of violence in children's homes that has led to the torture, sexual abuse and death,' he continued, citing the case of two-year-old Chevonne Rusch, whose mother, alongside her boyfriend, was convicted of the torture and murder of Chevonne in the Johannesburg High Court in late 2023. 'The level of brutality is definitely increasing.' Other trends Lamprecht noted were an increase in adult female sexual offenders targeting boys, and a rise in the number of foetuses and newborns abandoned on the streets of Johannesburg. 'Children go missing every five hours in this country, and that's the ones that are reported on. The ones that get thrown away in the streets here in Joburg, where I work, those children aren't even reported as missing because no one bothered reporting that they were alive,' he said. Policing and prosecution constraints Solomons said that while there had been improvements to law enforcement services in South Africa, there remained 'big gaps' when it came to the protection of children. 'Often the police lack resources… Because of the targeting of police, we've seen that police sometimes don't go into a particular area, or the medical teams don't go into a particular area, because they themselves get targeted. So, it's a very complex situation that we find ourselves in,' he explained. South Africa was a country of 'limitless needs and limited resources', said Lamprecht, with constraints on tackling violence against children at all levels, including in prevention, early intervention and statutory aftercare. 'We have got absolutely brilliant police officers, prosecutors, doctors, forensic pathologists, judges, etc… When I'm in the high court and in these cases, there's brilliant investigation; pathologists and doctors are brilliant; all the witnesses and professionals are treated well… But then you get to Correctional Services and there's a whole other parole drama that starts rearing its head… Then you go to the magistrates' court, and it is sheer, unadulterated chaos… It's like they're not even the same system,' he said. The Teddy Bear Foundation, an NGO providing services for victims of child abuse, released statistics in March 2025 showing that, of 5,385 cases handled by its court preparation programme between 2019 and 2024, just 4% had resulted in a conviction, according to a TimesLIVE report. Daily Maverick asked the NPA about the conviction rates for crimes against children but had not received a response by the time of publishing. Underlying social issues The children Molo Songololo works with, most of whom fall between the ages of 12 and 17, are often vulnerable to abuses due to factors such as identity issues, peer pressure and disempowerment within broader society, according to Solomons. 'There's a whole lot of risk… within broader society and how we deal with adolescence. For one, adolescents are not supposed to speak back. They're not supposed to have their own opinions. They're often blamed for when something goes wrong with them,' he said. 'When young people do push back, whether it is with parents, in the family, at school… then they are labelled as disruptive or rude… That combination where family adults and society, generally, on one level want them to behave like adults… and at another level still treat them as kids with no power… presents a kind of vulnerability and puts them at risk.' Other social issues that Solomons identified as contributing towards children's vulnerability to crime were poverty and unemployment, poor or lacking parenting and a shortage of safe spaces within health and education structures. Lamprecht pointed to substance abuse as a significant risk factor when it came to violent crimes against children in the home. Childhood in Crisis This is a special Daily Maverick editorial project exposing the brutal realities of child abuse, neglect, and systemic failure – and what needs to change. Over the coming days, we'll be publishing a series of in-depth articles. Keep checking this page for the latest stories in the series. Creating safer spaces In addressing high rates of violence against children, Solomons advocated for services within communities that provided ongoing support for children who experienced abuse. 'When something bad happens to a child, or a parent tries to find help for a child, there needs to be effective support and help… [for] parents and children to know exactly what their rights are, what happened to them, and understand how they can be part of the healing and empowerment process. Then you get a better result. You don't get children who accept their abuse and just go through a cycle of abuse,' he said, adding that services needed to go into the homes of affected families. 'The other thing that I think is very important is, of course, poverty alleviation… things like job creation, income into the family and sustainable food security for children.' Lamprecht emphasised that a relationship with a parent remained the 'single most protective factor' against harm for a child. He added that in cases where children were harmed, parents should be able to rely on a functional justice system for support. 'You need to want your children… Most children get hurt by people very, very close to them. You need to be aware of the dangers to your children. We need to not live in a world where we teach children to say no to adults. We should live in a world where children don't have to say no to adults, and if adults misbehave, the other adults take that on,' he said. DM
IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
Cwecwe's case: A call for urgent reform in child protection in South Africa
Awam Mavimbela is a registered social worker, former Walter Sisulu University Lecturer, PhD candidate with University of the Free State, and a published author Image: Supplied THE recent public outcry and marches demanding justice for Cwecwe raise a critical question: how well does the South African state protect its children? This is a fundamental concern in social work, which is guided by legal and policy frameworks such as the Children's Act 38 of 2005 on its curriculum. Statistics show a troubling rise in crimes against children. Between 2015/16 and 2019/20, these crimes increased by 6.3 percentage points. Specifically, the per capita rape rate among children rose from 96 per 100,000 in 2015/16 to 103 in 2018/19. In 2015/16 alone, the rate of sexual assault was 20 per 100,000 children. Unfortunately, despite policy developments and awareness campaigns, violence against women and children continues to escalate. Reports of gender-based violence (GBV) remain inadequate, with many cases going unreported. This suggests that over 2 million households may be experiencing GBV trauma in silence, as statistics South Africa reported more than 2 million women experience gender-based violence. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading According to Stats SA, there is a disturbing rise in homelessness, with children under 15 making up a significant portion. Of those in shelters, 45.7% are children, while 26.9% live on the streets. Each year, an estimated 1,697 children are reported missing about one every five hours. While 77% of these cases are resolved, the remaining 23% represent children who are never found, trafficked, or found deceased. These harsh realities severely impact children's rights, like, inter alia, education, health, and safety & security. Abuse-related depressive disorders impair concentration and academic performance. According to the University of Oklahoma's Suicide Prevention Resource Center, emotional distress leads to poor academic outcomes and reduced quality of life. Supporting this, 2024 scientific data depict the Eastern Cape as ranked among the top provinces for child sexual assault and was second-last in matric pass rates, at 84.8%. Undeniably, part of the problems experienced by learners not academically performing well is gender-based violence. Unquestionably, the unrest both in physical protests and on social media demands better justice systems for learners or toddlers like Cwecwe. Thousands of unemployed, qualified social workers could help safeguard children's rights by providing support such as temporary shelter. However, despite their training, many are not actively involved in addressing these crises, often relegated to charity work due to unemployment. With this in mind, this then seeks to say directly/indirectly that it is the responsibility of Department of Social Development to ensure that children's rights are protected. The Department of Social Development must study tragic cases like Cwecwe's and implement proactive strategies. This includes proposing stricter punishments for child abuse and neglect and expanding shelter options for vulnerable children. Children are the future of any nation, and the rising rates of abuse—emotional, physical, and psychological—paint a dire picture of our societal health and future of the country. Fighting GBV is not only a legal issue, but also a responsibility of the Department of Social Development. Social workers, trained to protect and advocate for children's rights, are essential in this battle. This is even articulated the 1997 social welfare white paper. However, the overwhelming workloads of social workers employed by DSD and high unemployment rates of social workers hinder progress.
The Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
EFF to 'fight for Cwecwe' through private prosecution after NPA drops case — Malema
EFF leader Julius Malema has pledged to pursue a private prosecution in the rape case of seven-year-old 'Cwecwe', a Matatiele girl allegedly sexually assaulted at Bergview College in October last year. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dropped the case this month, citing insufficient evidence, sparking outrage and allegations of systemic failure to address gender-based violence and child abuse. Speaking to supporters in ward 16 of Kwakwatsi in the Free State on Sunday, Malema condemned the NPA's decision and vowed to seek justice for 'Cwecwe'. 'Let's protect our children and women, let's make sure South Africa is safe for them,' he said. Malema, who met Cwecwe's family a few weeks ago to offer support, claimed adversaries are funding rival political parties to dismantle the EFF, saying, 'If the EFF dies, cases such as Cwecwe's will never be taken seriously'. 'Today they took a decision not to prosecute people who raped Cwecwe. We are going to pursue private prosecution on behalf of the family and we are going to make sure Cwecwe gets the best medical care so she doesn't relive the trauma she has experienced.' Listen to Malema:
TimesLIVE
26-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
EFF to 'fight for Cwecwe' through private prosecution after NPA drops case — Malema
EFF leader Julius Malema has pledged to pursue a private prosecution in the rape case of seven-year-old 'Cwecwe', a Matatiele girl allegedly sexually assaulted at Bergview College in October last year. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dropped the case this month, citing insufficient evidence, sparking outrage and allegations of systemic failure to address gender-based violence and child abuse. Speaking to supporters in ward 16 of Kwakwatsi in the Free State on Sunday, Malema condemned the NPA's decision and vowed to seek justice for 'Cwecwe'. 'Let's protect our children and women, let's make sure South Africa is safe for them,' he said. Malema, who met Cwecwe's family a few weeks ago to offer support, claimed adversaries are funding rival political parties to dismantle the EFF, saying, 'If the EFF dies, cases such as Cwecwe's will never be taken seriously'. 'Today they took a decision not to prosecute people who raped Cwecwe. We are going to pursue private prosecution on behalf of the family and we are going to make sure Cwecwe gets the best medical care so she doesn't relive the trauma she has experienced.'
