Advocacy groups and experts are concerned about the murder and abuse of children in the Eastern Cape and called for urgent action from the government.
The experts were reacting to the statistics showing that in the 2025/26 financial year, 175 children were murdered, 160 child abuse cases were recorded, and 2,103 child rape cases were reported to the police.
The shocking statistics were revealed by the Eastern Cape Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqatha, in response to the Democratic Alliance’s questions in the provincial legislature.
Horror reply
Horror reply
The DA stated that it has written to the MEC office demanding that his department, in collaboration with the SAPS, “put together a child protection turnaround plan, with clear targets for reducing unresolved cases, improving investigations, strengthening support for child victims, and ensuring better coordination between SAPS, department of social development, department of health, education department, Thuthuzela Care Centres, and the prosecuting authorities.”
Okuhle Mdodana, Director for Childline South Africa in the Eastern Cape, said the statistics represent an unacceptable failure to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
“Each number is a child whose life was cut short or irreparably harmed, often by people they knew and trusted. This level of violence against children is a profound moral crisis that demands immediate national attention.”
“Many cases involve perpetrators known to the child (family members, partners, or acquaintances). Alcohol and drug abuse, absent or overwhelmed caregivers, harsh parenting, and overcrowded living conditions exacerbate risks.”
Mdodana said weak law enforcement, low conviction rates, under-resourced child protection services, and slow justice processes contribute to the problem.
She said underreporting was also a huge problem as the statistics were not a true reflection of the problem on the ground.
She said the solution to the problem includes the following:
•Initiatives like safe parks, after-school programmes, and men’s engagement in caregiving have shown promise.
•Faster investigations, higher conviction rates, better resourcing of the police’s family violence, child protection, sexual offences units and specialised courts.
•Mandatory reporting must be enforced, with support for victims and whistleblowers.
•Targeted poverty alleviation, job creation, substance abuse treatment, and family support services (e.g., cash transfers linked to parenting programmes).
• Strengthen child protection registers and social worker capacity.
•Integrate comprehensive sexuality education, rights awareness, and violence prevention in schools.
•Engage traditional leaders, faith communities, and civil society; leaders must be held accountable.
Teddy Bear Foundation clinical director Shaheda Omar said that the fact that over 2,100 rape cases involving children were opened in a single year means that, on average, almost six children were sexually violated every day in the province.
“The 175 child murders represent the ultimate failure of protection. Children should be the safest members of society, yet many are experiencing violence in the very places where they should be protected – their homes, schools, communities, and sometimes even by people they know and trust. Many children never disclose their abuse, and many cases never reach the criminal justice system.”
Omar said other problems contributing to the situation include delays in investigations, shortages of social workers and psychologists, as well as insufficient safe care placements.
Robyn Wolfson Vorster, a child protection activist and founder of For the Voiceless, said that as devastating as those statistics were, they are probably still not an accurate reflection of the extent of the problem because so much violence against children goes unreported or underreported.
“There is a causal link between some of our biggest societal ills, such as poverty, unemployment, overcrowding, poor service delivery, gang and gender-based violence, and violence against children.”
Eastern Cape MEC for social development BukiweFanta said the department was concerned about the alarming statistics of child abuse in the province.
“These figures are not just numbers; they represent innocent lives lost, families shattered, and communities in deep mourning.”- masoka@citizen.co.za
