15 Rapes a day: Western Cape standing committee demands urgent action on sexual offences

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape has sounded the alarm over the province’s latest crime statistics, highlighting a disturbing trend in sexual offences.

According to the most recent data, 2,014 sexual offences were recorded in the province between October and December 2025. Of these cases, 1,370 were rapes, averaging 15 reported rapes every day in the Western Cape.

Wendy Kaizer-Philander, the DA Western Cape spokesperson on Social Development, said that these figures point to a deepening national crisis of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). She argued that while awareness campaigns are necessary, they are no longer sufficient on their own.

Kaizer-Philander noted that survivors of abuse continue to face significant hurdles when navigating the policing system, which often lacks the necessary support structures.

In response to the data, the Provincial Parliament's Standing Committee on Social Development will summon key government departments to account for the current safety failures.

"We cannot normalise 22 sexual offences a day. We cannot accept 15 rapes a day as inevitable," said Kaizer-Philander. "The time for incremental responses has passed. South Africans deserve a government that acts with urgency, competence, and compassion."