SAPS nets 2,320 suspected sex offenders in one month
The SAPS has hailed significant progress in the war against GBVF, following a surge in arrests and life sentences handed down to sexual offenders.
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THE SOUTH African Police Service (SAPS) has made “notable progress” in its fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), with more than 2,300 suspected sexual offenders arrested and 46 sentenced to life imprisonment during September 2025.
According to SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda van Wyk, the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units recorded 2,320 arrests nationwide for crimes including rape, sexual assault, abduction, and attempted rape.
The Western Cape led with 536 arrests, followed by Gauteng with 459 and KwaZulu-Natal with 360.
Van Wyk confirmed that 46 offenders received life sentences, while 35 others were sentenced to terms of 20 years or more for various sexual offences.
Among the most notable recent cases, police in KwaZulu-Natal arrested a 36-year-old man in KwaDukuza on October 9, 2025. He is linked to a series of rape and robbery cases reported between 2013 and 2016 in KwaDukuza, Mandeni, and Tongaat.
The SAPS operates 176 specialised FCS units across the country, supported by Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) teams at both national and provincial levels — a network dedicated to investigating some of the most harrowing crimes committed against women and children.
Recent convictions highlight progress
Gauteng: The Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court sentenced a 34-year-old man to three life terms for multiple charges of rape, sexual assault, and exposing minors to pornographic material. The man was found guilty of repeatedly abusing his nephew and niece.
Northern Cape: On October 16, 2025, the Northern Cape High Court sentenced Johannes Mouton, 43, to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Sanna Basson, 38, who died from injuries sustained during a domestic violence attack in November 2024.
Free State: The Ladybrand Regional Court sentenced a 25-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping two minors, aged 11 and 13, in Manyatseng near Ladybrand in 2022.
Mpumalanga: The Boschfontein Regional Court sentenced a 35-year-old Mozambican national to 25 years in prison for raping an 11-year-old neighbour’s child in Hectorspruit near Malelane.
Lieutenant-Colonel Van Wyk said these convictions underscore the SAPS’s continued commitment to protecting vulnerable groups. “Each arrest and each conviction marks a step closer to a safer South Africa for all,” she said.