Build One South Africa (BOSA) is rightly concerned by the latest national crime statistics released on Friday for the final quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, which show a disturbing rise in sexual offences across the country.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), sexual offences climbed to 13,452 reported cases, with rape cases increasing by 0.3% to 10,688 and contact sexual offences spiking by a staggering 21%. South Africa is in the grip of a gender-based violence epidemic which requires urgent attention.
These statistics represent women, children, and vulnerable individuals whose lives have been shattered by sexual violence. And yet, despite this crisis, the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) remains inaccessible to the public.
BOSA reiterates its call for the NRSO to be made publicly accessible and digitised, starting with giving school principals, ECD managers, and employers of care workers full access to vet candidates before hiring.
In the context of rising sexual crimes, keeping this register locked behind bureaucracy is both reckless and unjustifiable.
We welcome the Deputy President’s recent support in Parliament for this principle, following a direct question by BOSA Leader Mmusi Maimane. But this commitment must now be backed by policy change, swift legislative reform, and full implementation.
If we are serious about protecting children and survivors, we must break the cycle of silence and secrecy. The public has a right to know who the offenders are, especially those applying to work in schools, clinics, community centres, and households.
Roger Solomons – BOSA Acting Spokesperson – 072 299 3551