Bheki Cele,
We as South African women no longer see you fit for the position that you hold. As the people who you have been appointed to serve, we demand that you step down from your position as Minister of Police.
The disrespect you showed by calling a young woman ‘lucky’ to have been raped by one man, rather than several, was your most shameful performance yet. You are totally unequipped to handle the seriousness of your role, failing us on all fronts – implementation, innovation, progress and communications. The eight victims of the recent Krugersdorp gang rape, of which the 19-year-old woman you described as the ‘lucky one’, could absolutely have been spared this horrendous ordeal in the first place, if only the South African Police Service (SAPS) was capable of effective policing.
Your attendance at public events and funerals does not give us hope or reassurance. You have shown us repeatedly that you are there, not to mourn with us, but rather to push your own particular brand of grandstanding and politicking.
We are tired of creating ‘Missing Child’ and ‘Memorial’ posts.
We are tired of trending hashtags.
We are tired of thinking ‘Am I Next?’
We are tired of living in the ‘Rape Capital‘ of the world.
We are tired of Gender-based violence not being treated as a epidemic.
We are tired of being killed.
Under your leadership, gender-based violence, femicide and murder in South Africa continue to skyrocket:
- 67 people are killed every day
- 24,865 people were murdered in 2021/22
- One woman is murdered every 2.5 hours
- 898 women were murdered between January and March 2022
- The femicide rate in South Africa is 5x the global average
- 41,695 rape cases were reported to the police during 2021/22, yet is estimated that more than 95% of sexual offences go unreported.
- 10,085 police officers have been charged with murder, rape and assault since 2012. Only 50 police officers faced suspension.
- The DNA backlog stood at more than 300,000 unprocessed cases due to Bheki Cele’s mismanagement. This means these many perpetrators are free to continue to commit violent acts.
- Ronald Lamola, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, confirmed that 96,785 Schedule 8 offenders (perpetrators of violent crime) have been released on parole since 2016 without submitting a DNA sample.
- South Africa has several laws and policies that aim to address GBV. It is the responsibility of State organs and the SAPS to ensure that all people are adequately protected. Despite this, incidences of GBV in South Africa remain extremely high due to the failures of the SAPS.
Our nation faces another epidemic and with some major changes at the SAPS, we can start eradicating the high crime levels in our country.
Bheki Cele, we demand that you STEP DOWN!
President Ramaphosa, if Bheki Cele does not step down, we are calling on you to finally fire Police Minister Bheki Cele. We demand someone capable of leading the South African Police Service. It is long overdue.