National Assembly agrees to revive motion to investigate statutory rape

Parliament has backed a revived motion to investigate statutory rape, with all parties united in their sense of urgency over rising abuse and teenage pregnancy rates.

The National Assembly (NA) hosted a sitting on Tuesday, where lawmakers considered a motion to revive the investigation into the issue of statutory rape in South Africa and possibly change the law around it.

Each party either declared its support for the motion or confirmed its backing without formal declarations.

Statutory rape, harshest abuses on children

ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli said the ANC supported the motion, citing the high rate of teenage pregnancies and the need for comprehensive sexual education.

“Statutory rape is one of the harshest abuses to our children. It strips them of their right to be children,” Ntuli said.

The chief whip said the provisions of South African law and the statistics of statutory rape allude to a disjuncture.

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The ANC called for a collective effort to address teenage pregnancies.

DA chief whip George Michalakis confirmed his party’s support and stressed the need for decisive action to combat statutory rape.

“It does cut across various departments, and I think that statutory rape, especially of young girls in this country, has become a crisis that needs to be dealt with decisively by this Parliament,” Michalakis said.

National emergency

MK party MP Hazel Mbele said Parliament shouldn’t even be debating the motion, arguing that statutory rape demands a national emergency. She highlighted the growing crisis in townships, rural villages, and schools.

“Let’s be clear, statutory rape is not a scandal. It is a crisis. It is a kind of power, of manipulation, of betrayal, and it is happening on our watch,” she said.

Mbele said South Africa’s laws are not weak, but the implementation of them is weak. She also expressed concerns regarding the police’s ineffectiveness in dealing with cases of statutory rape.

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“This is traumatisation. We need to stop thinking that statutory rape is a mistake or a relationship gone. This is not Romeo and Juliet; this is a child being manipulated, violated and often impregnated by someone who should know better,” she said.

Mbele said the motion must pass, not because it is politically convenient, but because South African children are not safe.

Urgent need for comprehensive interventions

EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi reminded the House of a previous motion the party tabled on statutory rape.

She also cited the numerous teenage pregnancy cases reported on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve to stress the urgent need for comprehensive interventions.

“A critical area of focus is the enforcement of mandatory reporting by teachers and nurses, which is essential in bridging the gap in current protective measures,” Mkhaliphi said.

She said the party supports the revival of the motion to ensure justice for victims and called for stronger interdepartmental coordination.

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The IFP, Patriotic Alliance, ACDP, UDM, Bosa, ATM, and ActionSA expressed their support for the motion, advocating for a more comprehensive and broader approach to the issue at hand.

Parties unanimously agreed to revive motion

Following declarations from all the parties, there were no objections, and all parties unanimously agreed to revive the motion.

The National Assembly tasked the portfolio committee on women and children to lead the investigation. The committee must collaborate with the committees on basic education, social development, police, health, and justice.

The House has extended the deadline for the committee to report back to 30 November.