More than 26 000 cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in the 2024-25 financial year
More than 26 000 cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in the 2024-25 financial year, up from 23 732 during the same period last year, Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has said.
“As a country, we have made strides, putting various measures in place such as child protection laws, policies, strategies and programmes to ensure the protection of children from abuse; however, our children continue to experience violence,” Tolashe said in a prepared speech to mark National Child Protection Week.
South Africa’s perennial problem of child abuse, in its many forms, has been in focus with the recent trial, conviction and sentencing of Kelly Smith, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn each to 10 years in prison for kidnapping and to life imprisonment for trafficking Smith’s daughter, Joslin, who was six years old when she disappeared in February last year.
Tolashe said the 26 852 cases of child abuse and neglect included 9 859 cases relating to sexual abuse reported in all nine provinces. Deliberate child neglect accounted for 9 485 cases, while physical abuse made up for 3 965, followed by abandonment, which accounted for 595 cases.
About 1 100 children were killed in South Africa during the 2023-24 financial year, based on crime statistics from the South African Police Service.
Last week, children accompanied by caregivers and guardians marched to the constitutional court in Johannesburg to champion the rights of children, an event organised by the Gauteng department of social development.
Addressing the march, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the Criminal Procedures Act — which outlines the procedures for bail and sentencing — requires urgent reform to protect the rights of children in court.
“Laws have been amended, but there are still weaknesses. One of the areas that we have identified as a weakness is the last part of the Criminal Procedure Act that needs to be reviewed,” she said.
The minister met Chief Justice Mandisa Maya on Friday to present a list of concerns regarding children.
A recent report by the United Nations Children’s Fund South Africa found that 58% of children in South Africa between the ages of five and 16 years had experienced direct sexual abuse, while 52% were indirectly victimised. Additionally, 25% of children faced violence in their homes, 18% were physically abused, 13% suffered emotional abuse and 12% experienced neglect.
A 2015 study conducted by Save the Children South Africa and the University of Cape Town estimated that such violence cost the country R238.58 billion annually in child welfare — about 6% of its GDP. These are the most recent figures available.
Beyond abuse itself, there are significant concerns around how the justice system handles such cases involving children, according to the nonprofit organisation, Joburg Child Welfare. It has called for harsher penalties under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997 and severe sentencing for Schedule 6 offences against children, beyond the current 10 to 15-year prison terms.
Schedule 6 offences are the most serious crimes under South African law, requiring the accused to prove “exceptional circumstances” to be granted bail.
“We demand a justice system that not only protects but actively deters violence against children,” said Joburg Child Welfare chief executive Abubakr Hattas.
“Violence against children creates lifelong psychological wounds and trauma, which increases the likelihood of them becoming future perpetrators and acting violently as adults.”
As one of the nonprofit organisations affected by the suspension of aid by the Trump administration, Joburg Child Welfare said that although South Africa has strong legislation, there is poor implementation by authorities.
“This is where child protection needs social consensus and more societal aversion to violence and abuse. Acceptance of violence against children undermines protective norms and practices, sharply increasing children’s vulnerability to violations of their rights,” Hattas said.
Last year’s disappearance of Joslin Smith, who remains missing, highlights the urgent need for robust child safeguarding measures, activists said.
During the sentencing of Joslin’s mother and her two co-accused, human trafficking expert Marcel van der Watt noted that the paradox of a family as both a safe haven and a site of harm “is fundamental in understanding violence against children”.
Another recent case highlighting the vulnerability of children was that of a seven-year-old girl, publicly referred to as “Cwecwe”, who was allegedly raped at Bergview College in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. The school was criticised for its inadequate response, including offering the family a transfer letter instead of addressing the incident, which led to widespread protests and the #JusticeForCwecwe campaign on social media.
In April, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said that out of the 405 738 teachers nationwide on 31 December 2024, only 78 509, or 19%, have been vetted against the National Register for Sex Offenders.
In Limpopo, none of the teachers had been vetted by 31 March, and in the Eastern Cape, only 5%, and in KwaZulu-Natal, only 7%. The other provinces range between the Free State’s 53% and the Northern Cape’s 20%.
According to a report by child welfare organisation the Teddy Bear Foundation, from 2019 to 2024, only 4% of more than 5 000 child abuse cases resulted in convictions. Many cases were withdrawn because of a lack of evidence or witnesses.
“Conviction rates in child abuse cases remain alarmingly low, and we see countless children who bravely come forward only to have their cases languish or collapse due to systemic barriers,” said the clinical director of the Teddy Bear Foundation, Shaheda Omar.
As child neglect and abuse cases continue to grow, Western Cape MEC for social development Jaco Londt said more children require protection and placement in alternative care.
“Year after year, we see the need for child protection services growing. We need to bring back the spirit of Ubuntu to communities, where your child is my child,” Londt said.
The national department of social development reported more than 250 cases of child abandonment in 2023, with KwaZulu-Natal recording the highest number. Factors contributing to this surge include poverty, lack of support systems and societal pressures.
To address violence against children, South Africa has pledged that, by 2027, it will have rolled out evidence-based parenting programmes in 52 districts to promote safer home environments, reduced child abuse and discouraged the use of corporal punishment by parents and caregivers.
Another commitment is the implementation of the 2024 Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which strengthens the ban on corporal punishment in schools and introduces stronger penalties for educators who use it.
Almost a million children have experienced violence at school, with 84% of that violence being corporal punishment, according to a 2021 report by Statistics South Africa.