Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice:
On the final day of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, the DA confirmed that urgent action is being taken to supply rape kits to the Western Cape after its oversight exposed a shocking collapse in the system.
During an unannounced oversight visit on 9 December to the SAPS Supply Chain Store in Epping, the DA found no D1 or D7 rape kits in stock. This was consistent with reports from multiple stations, including rural and high-crime areas, where officers have been unable to collect forensic evidence because kits were either depleted or expired.
Yesterday the DA conducted an urgent, unannounced visit to the National SAPS Supply Chain facility in Silverton, Pretoria, where it was confirmed that stock is indeed available and that, within hours of our oversight the previous day, an urgent requisition was suddenly sent from the Western Cape to Silverton for 1 540 D1 adult rape kits and 1 300 D7 child rape kits. SAPS has confirmed that these will arrive in Cape Town on 15 December.
This is a small victory for women and children who continue to face the daily reality of gender-based violence.
Despite the requisition, SAPS maintains that hundreds of rape kits are available across the Province. Yet, the reality on the ground is quite the opposite. The DA has been provided with a certificate of available stock and quantities at all 172 stations across the Western Cape.
Some of the most alarming examples include:
- Redelinghuys: 0 D1 kits; 30 D7 kits – with neighbouring stations Elands Bay and Piketberg also showing zero adult kits.
- Pacaltsdorp: 0 D1 kits; 48 D7 kits – with nearby stations in George, Knysna, Groot Brakrivier and Mossel Bay all reflecting zero kits of either type.
- Atlantis: 0 D1 and 0 D7 kits – while neighbouring stations Melkbosstrand, Table View and Philadelphia also recorded zero kits.
- High-crime areas including Harare, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Lwandle, Mitchell’s Plain, Ocean View, Belhar, Grassy Park and Wynberg similarly reflected no kits available.
- In the Central Karoo, covering vast distances between Beaufort West, Laingsburg, Leeu Gamka, Murraysburg and Prince Albert, the entire area reflected only 2 D1 kits and 3 D7 kits, located exclusively at Laingsburg.
This is an unforgivable failure. Forensic evidence is time-sensitive and in rural areas where stations are hours apart, a shortage is not an inconvenience; it is a catastrophe for survivors.
In contrast, Delft reportedly has 180 D1 kits, raising serious questions about the equitable distribution of this critical forensic tool and begs the question why Western Cape management have not prioritised equal distribution to rural or isolated stations.
The DA will now take the following steps:
- Conduct unannounced spot checks at stations across the province to verify actual kit availability.
- Monitor the arrival and immediate distribution of the 15 December delivery to ensure that stations most in need are supplied without delay and that available supplies are distributed evenly.
- Reiterate our demand for a full list of every rape reported during the 16 Days of Activism, including the evidence and investigation status of each case.
Failing to provide rape kits, especially at rural, isolated and high-crime stations, is a devastating failure in the fight against GBV. The Government cannot preach activism while survivors face empty shelves when they seek help.
The DA will continue to expose these failures and ensure that every survivor in the Western Cape has access to the forensic tools needed to secure justice.