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  • keyboard_arrow_rightRape kit shortage in the Western Cape: Could this delay justice for sexual assault survivors 

Rape kit shortage in the Western Cape: Could this delay justice for sexual assault survivors 

By Mapaballo Borotho

NB. This story discusses sexual violence and may be distressing to some readers.

Rape Kit
Image @Aljazeera news
  • The Democratic Alliance has warned of a looming rape kit shortage in the Western Cape.
  • The party says the shortage could prevent survivors of sexual offences from accessing vital forensic evidence collection.
  • The DA has threatened legal action if the supply of rape kits is not urgently restored.

In a country where gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual offences remain alarmingly high, one would expect the justice system to act with urgency to support survivors and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

But how can justice be achieved when the country faces shortages of the very resources needed to investigate these crimes?

The Western Cape is currently facing a looming rape kit shortage, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) warning that survivors could be denied access to crucial forensic evidence collection from 1 August 2026.

As a result, the DA has vowed to take legal action against acting Police Minister Feroz Cachalia.

In the meantime, the party has placed Cachalia on notice to respond to the crisis surrounding the supply of D1 (for adults) and D7 (for children) forensic evidence collection kits, commonly known as rape kits, in the Western Cape.

According to the DA’s NCOP Member on Security and Justice, Dominique Jeftha, numerous Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units and police stations in the Western Cape were found to have no rape kits available.

Jeftha revealed the findings following an oversight visit conducted on 14 and 15 May 2026.

“In response to a parliamentary question posed by the DA, the Acting Minister stated that, following the expiry of the previous rape kits supply contract on 3 April 2026, SAPS procured 11,540 D1 and D7 forensic evidence collection kits during April 2026,” Jeftha said.

Jeftha said that should Cachalia fail to meet the DA’s demand for a continuous supply of sufficient rape kits in the Western Cape, the party will not hesitate to approach the courts to compel SAPS to fulfil its constitutional obligations.

She added that one of the most effective ways to tackle the scourge of GBV is to ensure that rapists and perpetrators of child sexual abuse are identified, prosecuted and convicted.

READ NEXT: How ageing prisons are helping inmates hide drugs and weapons

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