[Image: Wikimedia Commons]
South Africans erupted in fury, flooding streets across the country with chants of “Justice for Cwecwe!” in a desperate demand for immediate action over the horrific case of a seven-year-old Matatiele girl who was allegedly raped on school grounds.
From Bloemfontein to Durban, Pretoria to Johannesburg, Nelspruit to Cape Town and East London, thousands mobilised on Tuesday, shutting down education department offices nationwide under the banner of #JusticeForCwecwe, The Citizen reported.
The nationwide outrage was ignited over the apparent lack of progress in the brutal 2024 case involving Cwecwe, a minor from Matatiele, Eastern Cape – who has become a symbol of the abuse of our women and children and how the justice system consistently lets them down.
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Reports reveal that authorities allegedly collected DNA evidence from the child, and while two of the three suspects complied with DNA testing, the Bergview College school principal shockingly refused to provide his DNA.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said the incident was reported on 16 October 2024 and they were still looking for those responsible.
In a letter to parents, Bergview College Board chair Danie van Zyl said that there was “no evidence” the rape occurred on school premises, News24 reported. However, Cwecwe’s mother insisted that the school knows of the suspect’s identity but refused to act. She alleged that the school failed to report the incident promptly to the education department and instead discouraged her from speaking publicly about it.
Now the Eastern Cape authorities issued a notice to deregister Bergview College over concerns about its ability to provide a safe and secure environment for its pupils. Explaining the decision to withdraw the school’s registration, Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade said:
“If another rape happens at the school, what will I say? I have given then 24 hours to respond to the notice.”
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube stepped in, calling for urgent action from the police.
“I am thoroughly heartbroken by this,” she said. “But the best we can do now is ensure justice for this little girl and her family.”
Gwarube has called for the mandatory screening of all school staff against the sexual offenders register, eNCA reports.
Meanwhile, per News24, Bergview School has already apparently taken legal action to halt its deregistration.
In Cape Town, an enraged crowd, mainly students, stormed the Department of Education offices, demanding accountability. Pretoria CBD and Nelspruit echoed with protests, as demonstrators made it clear: justice must be swift and uncompromising.
Cape Town – #JusticeforCwewe March moving through the CBD area pic.twitter.com/gW7WVJa9Js
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) April 1, 2025
In Johannesburg, hundreds of young activists marched to the Gauteng Department of Education offices, where they handed over a memorandum. City of Johannesburg councillors stood in solidarity with Cwecwe’s family, and Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane joined the protest, demanding urgent action.
Tensions soared in Durban as marchers handed over a memorandum to the Department of Education, setting a strict 48-hour deadline for justice.
[WATCH] Marchers hand over the memorandum at the Department of Education in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, demanding #JusticeForCwecwe within the next 48 hours. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/EO6DYVaSrx
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) April 1, 2025
In Bloemfontein, Free State Education Department head Adv Tsoarelo Malakoane faced an impassioned crowd as he accepted demands from civil society groups, including Buwang Basadi, political organisations, and students from multiple tertiary institutions.
East London saw Buffalo City mayor Princess Faku standing with the people, marching from city hall to the East London Magistrate’s Court in a show of defiance against a broken system.
BCM Executive Mayor Cllr Princess Faku is leading hundreds of young people as the country is marching for #JusticeforCwecwe
The message from the march, which started at the City hall to the Magistrate court, is that violence against women and children has no place in the society pic.twitter.com/ZCASlEN11K— Buffalo City Metro Municipality (@OfficialBCMM) April 1, 2025
As protests raged, the South African Police Service (SAPS) scrambled to assure the public that action was underway. National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola directed the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Investigations (FCS) unit to take charge of the case, deploying top cop Major General Mmantsheke Lekhele to Matatiele to oversee the investigation firsthand.
“The FCS head, Major General Mmantsheke Lekhele, is currently meeting with the investigating team to ensure due diligence was conducted in this case and that the chain of evidence was properly preserved,” SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe stated on Tuesday.
“Major Gen Lekhele will meet with persons of interest and key stakeholders such as the NPA to ensure justice and the finalisation of the matter.”
Mathe insisted that the justice system would not fail the girl, pledging that a full report would follow upon the investigation’s conclusion.
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The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) called for urgent intervention to address deep-rooted failures in South Africa’s child protection systems.
“The prevalence of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation in South Africa demands not only strong condemnation but decisive and coordinated action,” the commission said in a statement on Tuesday.
The SAHRC urged SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Department of Social Development, and the Department of Basic Education to deploy all available resources in defense of children’s rights.
“My child is your child. Families, churches, and civil society need to play a role in safeguarding the rights of children,” the SAHRC declared, a call to arms for an entire nation.
Meanwhile, SAPS has urged social media users to report responsibly on the case as tensions escalate and pressure mounts for swift justice.
[Source: The Citizen & News24]
