EFF calls on removal of Bheki Cele as Police Minister over reports of absence of rape kits in 76% of police stations since July 2020
17 February 2021
The EFF calls on removal of Minister of Police, Bheki Cele following revelations that 76% of South African Police Stations are without rape kits since the end of July 2020. The minister's ridiculous and unforgivable explanation for this horrendous situation is that the procurement process for rape kits was halted due to corruption.
There is absolutely no justification for a halting of the procurement process of rape kits for over Seven Months. This is a reflection of utter incompetence, negligence and criminal complicity because absence of rape kits makes the successful resolution of rape cases almost impossible.
Furthermore, it is a reflection of ANC government's lack of commitment and seriousness to confront the scourge of GBV: that is, the disastrous position women, the LGBTQI+ and children are subjected to on a daily basis.
If Ramaphosa takes GBV seriously, he must remove Bheki Cele as Police Minister for this negligence. For a country that reports one of the highest rape cases in the world, lack of rape kits in police stations must lead to removal of the minister in charge!
On average, South Africa country records 100 cases of rape every single day and of these cases, over 40% of are children. This means in 76% of police stations across the country where these cases have been reported since July 2020, over 20 000 rape victims did not find rape kits: which may subsequently see perpetrators walk off with impunity.
In a country like South Africa where the state fails to create and enforce tangible efforts to fight sexual crimes, the very least a department can do is ensure that corruption and a tender system is not a stumbling block for resolution of rape crimes.
Corruption in Minister Bheki Cele's police ministry is deeply entrenched. In these very police stations, victims of rape experience violations and secondary trauma from police officials who suffer from misogyny: often they do not want to believe victims of sexual crimes.
The EFF further calls for the immediate public release of the names of these 76% of police stations that are without rape kits in the country. We call on the Ramaphosa to directly intervene and ensure that the department procures Rape Kits in seven days.
A lasting solution is for government to build internal capacity for the production, storage and distribution of rape kits. There is no prevailing reason that 27 years into the reign of the ANC, rape kits are still being procured through the corrupt tender system.
Bheki Cele must be removed for indirectly aiding rape to go unpunished for over 7 months by failing to procure rape kits in 76% of police stations.
Issued by Vuyani Pambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 17 February 2021
