Note to editors: the response to the PAIA application can be accessed here.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) notes with frustration the Justice Ministry’s rejection of our Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request to gain access to the highly secretive National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO, which government is hellbent on keeping under wraps.
In a country that experiences harrowing levels of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), underage pregnancies and abuse of children, the government is of the view that protecting the identities of convicted sexual predators is more important than protecting future victims from abuse.
We reject this position with the contempt it deserves. This register should be a tool for prevention, not a secretive ledger buried in bureaucracy.
After publicly committing to release the register by the end of February, the Minister of Justice’s recent backtrack also raises serious concerns about what is being hidden.
No government genuinely committed to protecting the public would hide the names of sex offenders, unless it is protecting its own. Sustained secrecy raises the alarming possibility that politically connected individuals are being shielded from being exposed.
For more than two years, BOSA has championed the call for the NRSO to be made public. Nearly 20,000 South Africans have signed our petition in support of this demand. The overwhelming public sentiment is clear: people want transparency, safety, and accountability.
In light of this disturbing rejection, BOSA’s legal team is now considering drafting and tabling a legislative amendment to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act.
This amendment would mandate that the NRSO be made publicly accessible on request, placing the safety of South Africans, especially children, above the political convenience of secrecy.
BOSA calls on all South Africans to stand with us in demanding action. We will not accept further delays, and we will not allow empty promises to hinder the fight against GBV and sexual violence
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