The Police Ministry has assured the public that South Africa has a full nationwide stock of adult and child rape evidence collection kits. The confirmation comes amid persistent worries over the state’s ability to tackle the country’s severe gender-based violence crisis.
The SAPS’s fourth-quarter crime statistics for 2025/26 show an 8,5% decline in rape cases.
However, activists say the decline does not reflect the reality experienced by survivors on the ground. They say many survivors choose to be silent due to a lack of trust and confidence in the criminal justice system.
Ministry Spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi says there are enough trained personnel across the country to administer the rape evidence kits properly and timeously.
“In cases of this nature, I can state that the SAPS does really ensure that there are specialists to deal with these types of cases, whether it’s in a police station or one of these dedicated units. So, there are specialists who deal with these sorts of cases, and the SAPS does ensure that it does have these specialists available,” explains Mogotsi.
