As our nation’s eyes remain fixed on the Madlanga Commission, parliament’s ad hoc committee on [KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla] Mkhwanazi’s allegations, unemployment, crime and corruption, a national crisis wages silently in our communities: child pregnancies. Statutory rape is a cancerous blight tearing at the very soul of our nation, silencing the cries of our daughters, and boys, and stealing their hopes, dreams and futures. We cannot, we must not and will no longer look away.
Every single day, we are confronted with stories of gender-based violence that have become tragically familiar — a chilling “normalcy”. However, crimes being committed against our children go largely unreported and are sometimes even hidden by families and communities. These crimes should ignite an unquenchable fire of outrage.
The question must haunt each of us: How did we get here? When did we allow such pervasive crime and trauma to become an accepted part of who we are? This is not just a societal failure: it is a systemic betrayal of our children despite the provisions contained in one of the most progressive constitutions in the world.
Read Full Article on Daily Dispatch
[paywall]
In August 2024, recognising this reality, parliament passed a motion accepting that statutory rape is a growing crisis. The motion had been revived in July 2025, calling on five portfolio committees: police, justice, social development, health, education and women, youth and persons with disabilities (the lead committee) to host an inquiry into the crisis to find holistic solutions and to report back to the National Assembly with findings and recommendations. This initiative, aimed at gathering submissions, reviewing existing legislation and recommending amendments, is a critical step.
[/paywall]
