Jabu Rakwena AZAPO Department of Publicity and Information (DPI)
Cde Jabu Rakwena
Secretary for Publicity and Information
The scourge of child rape in South Africa lays bare the systemic neglect and structural violence endured by Black and poor children in our country.
From a Black Consciousness perspective, we must confront this crisis not only as a societal failure but as a deliberate byproduct of a state that has abandoned its most vulnerable citizens.
Most child rape victims are Black and live in poverty, their lives shaped by the intersection of economic marginalization, systemic racism, and the indifference of those in power.
Poverty exacerbates the vulnerability of little Black girls and their families.
Financial hardship forces families into overcrowded living conditions, often
exposing children to predatory individuals.
The absence of psycho-social services in schools within townships and rural areas further compounds the problem.
Schools, meant to be safe havens, are instead sites of unmitigated harm.
Without adequate support, victims of abuse are left to suffer in silence,
their trauma ignored by a system designed to neglect them.
The lack of effective policing in these communities enables paedophiles to operate with impunity.
Perpetrators exploit the systemic failures of law enforcement, knowing full well that the chances of being apprehended are slim, now exacerbated by the elements of incompetence in the criminal prosecution.
This is compounded by professionals who are legally obligated to report abuse but fail to act.
The case of the learner repeatedly raped by her teacher—who then forced her to ingest rat poison and has now become a
young, HIV-positive mother—is a tragic testament to this neglect.
Despite the teacher’s removal, the damage has been done.
This young girl, robbed of her childhood and future, symbolizes the fate of countless others who are failed by those entrusted with their protection.
To create a safer country for our children, we must begin by holding everyone accountable.
All professionals working with children must be thoroughly vetted, not only at the point of employment but annually.
Training in child protection laws must be mandatory, and the failure to report abuse must carry severe consequences. Families, schools, clinics, and hospitals must become the frontline of child protection.
Medical personnel should be required to report suspected abuse immediately to police and social services, initiating
interventions that prioritize the child’s safety and well-being.
The government must reinstate and properly staff the Child Protection Unit, ensuring personnel are comprehensively trained in child protection legislation.
Law enforcement must extend its presence in underserviced areas, providing
consistent policing to deter and address abuse.
Furthermore, the justice system must become accessible to the poor and child-friendly, ensuring that survivors are not retraumatized by bureaucratic indifference or a lack of support.
The legacy of apartheid’s structural inequalities continues to manifest in the lives of Black children, and it is our collective responsibility to dismantle these injustices.
We must demand systemic reforms and hold those in power accountable for their failures.
Protecting our children is not merely an option— it is a moral imperative. Only then can we begin to heal the deep wounds inflicted on our society and ensure that every child can dream of a future free from violence and despair.
AZAPO calls for immediate action and an end to pacifying talk-shops and
empty promises by government.