The 16 Days of Activism campaign calls on governments, institutions, and communities to end GBV. But how do we align this campaign with the realities of police-perpetrated violence? When the state’s agents—tasked with protecting women and children—are themselves predators, it undermines the campaign’s goals and deepens the public’s mistrust.

Where are we safe? It is a question haunting the hearts of women and children in South Africa, a country battling one of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) globally. This question becomes even more harrowing when the very institutions meant to protect us are revealed to be complicit in the violence. The tragic case of a 26-year-old woman raped by a 40-year-old police officer in Mfuleni, Western Cape, while in holding cells, forces us to confront an unimaginable betrayal: police officers, sworn to uphold justice, becoming perpetrators of the crimes they are meant to prevent.

This is not an isolated incident. South Africa’s criminal justice system has repeatedly made headlines for harboring individuals who abuse their power. In some cases, police officers, with the shield of their badge, have raped, murdered, and assaulted women and children. These are not just crimes—they are acts of state-enabled violence, eroding public trust in law enforcement and justice systems.

The Mfuleni case is not an anomaly. South African police officers have been implicated in countless acts of violence against women and children, from intimate partner violence to the murder of strangers. In 2021, a police constable in the Eastern Cape was arrested for raping his own daughter. In KwaZulu-Natal, a police officer was convicted of shooting and killing his girlfriend during an argument in 2019. A Gauteng officer in 2020 fatally assaulted his partner after she reportedly confronted him about infidelity. And now, the Mfuleni case, where a woman was raped in custody, betrayed by the very institution sworn to protect her.

These are not isolated incidents. They represent a pattern of abuse enabled by a lack of accountability, inadequate training, and a culture of impunity within the police force.

The Mfuleni case is horrifying but emblematic of a broader problem. Instances of police-perpetrated GBV reflect systemic failures in accountability, training, and oversight. When the people entrusted with enforcing the law commit these heinous acts, the ripple effects devastate communities, leaving survivors and their families with nowhere to turn.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), responsible for oversight of police misconduct, is meant to be a beacon of justice in such situations. However, it often struggles with limited resources and bureaucratic delays. Survivors are frequently re-traumatized by having to navigate a system that feels indifferent to their pain. While IPID has made strides in bringing some officers to justice, the scope of the problem demands more decisive action and systemic change.

It is not enough to react to these atrocities with outrage. I am calling upon the South African government to prioritize GBV prevention within the police force by implementing the following measures:

Comprehensive Vetting and Psychological Assessments All officers must undergo rigorous vetting, including psychological evaluations, to identify tendencies that could lead to abusive behavior. Mandatory GBV Sensitization Training Officers need ongoing education about the dynamics of GBV, power abuse, and how to protect vulnerable individuals, particularly women and children. Strengthening IPID The Directorate must be adequately funded and empowered to investigate and prosecute police-perpetrated GBV cases swiftly and transparently.

Zero Tolerance Policy The government must enforce a zero-tolerance stance against officers found guilty of GBV, ensuring immediate dismissal, prosecution, and maximum sentencing. Community Accountability Mechanisms Communities must have access to independent reporting mechanisms outside of the police to ensure survivors feel safe coming forward.

I recently had the opportunity to address this issue on Newzroom Afrika. The interview, conducted at 1am Bangkok time, was a moment of reflection and urgency for me. Despite the late hour, I welcomed the chance to speak out on behalf of women and children who have been betrayed by a broken system. The journalist and I delved into the Mfuleni case and the systemic implications of such incidents.

The grim reality is that for many women and children, there is no safe space—not in their homes, not in the streets, churches or schools and now, not even in the custody of the police. This is not a failure we can afford to accept.

The South African government must act swiftly and decisively to root out predators within law enforcement. The criminal justice system must be sensitized, reformed, and held accountable. Survivors of police-perpetrated violence deserve more than platitudes; they deserve justice.

We, as a nation, must ask ourselves: When protectors become predators, where do we run? And more importantly, what are we willing to do to reclaim the sanctity of safety, trust, and justice?

Now is the time for action. Because the next victim could be any one of us.