Cape Town – A total of 139 SAPS members from 113 police stations across the country have had cases relating to gender-based violence (GBV) opened against them – with five of the stations implicated among the 30 GBV hot spots in the country.
This was revealed in a reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question by Minister of Police Bheki Cele, the party’s public service and administration spokesperson, Michele Clarke MP, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Of concern to the DA is whether the perpetrators have been charged for their offences, are still on active duty or have been dismissed. Clarke said they would be submitting supplementary questions to Cele to provide greater clarity.
Some of the reported cases against the perpetrators range from assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, statutory rape, rape, murder, domestic violence, attempted murder and pointing a firearm.
The stations among the top 30 GBV hot spots – which were identified by Cele in September – implicated are Umlazi and Ntuzuma in KwaZulu-Natal, Bloemspruit in the Free State, and Mitchells Plain and Gugulethu in the Western Cape.
With Parliament due to host public hearings on three bills relating to gender-based violence this week, Clarke said, it is ’’important that Cele takes a public stand against GBV by drawing the line against the harbouring of perpetrators within SAPS ranks’’.
’’Violence against women is a national crisis and we cannot allow their re-victimisation at police stations manned by perpetrators of GBV. The fight against GBV requires a police service that women can trust and rely on during their time of need.
’’The DA will continue to hold the minister accountable to his avowed commitment to address the GBV crisis and ensure that SAPS meets the objectives set out in its GBV action plan.’’
IOL