Following the horrific attack on five schoolgirls from Jongintaba Secondary School in the Eastern Cape, special investigative capacity was urgently called for within the SAPS, including special units from the Prosecutor, the Hawks and the SAPS’ organized crime squad.

While armed attackers raided the hostel where the girls were staying in the early hours of the morning, one of the attackers started raping and robbing the girls at gunpoint. This horrific incident is a further reminder of the horrific violence faced by young women in South Africa and underlines the urgent need for decisive action.

The prosecutor will write to the Minister of Police requesting detailed information on specific resources available to combat violent crime and gender-based violence. We call once again for an integrated, collaborative strategy involving SAPS specialist units, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Corrections to ensure effective response and accountability.

Deploying national response units and other uniformed police is not enough to address the seriousness of ultra-violent crime, which has increased greatly in recent times in the Eastern Cape.