Swazi Observer

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15 RAPE CASES IN 7 DAYS

By BONGIWE DLAMINI | 2025-01-03

Police have reported a shocking number of 15 rapes, which are said to have happened over the festive period from December 25 to January 1st.

This translates to an average of two cases reported daily over seven days.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, said rape was the most committed offence during the festive season reporting that out of the 15 cases, police successfully arrested five suspects.

Vilakati said the police were working around the clock to bring all law-breakers to book.
While she did not reveal where the cases were reported, reported incidents which continue to be a headache not only for the police, but women and girls who are at the receiving end of the brutal violation included that of two elderly women of Nginamadvolo aged 72 and 74 who were allegedly raped by Bayanda Simelane 22, who is currently is awaiting trial.

Another was of a four-year-old girl who was raped allegedly by her 36-year-old biological father in Pigg’s Peak. The incident came to light after the child’s grandmother noticed the minor’s changed behaviour, which included bed wetting and being visibly uncomfortable around her father.

To her shock, not only did she discover that the 36-year-old had abused his daughter, but he also sexually assaulted his minor niece. The accused is currently behind bars awaiting his trial
Further, a 39-year-old woman of Eveni in Mbabane reported that she was raped by an unknown person in the wee hours of Christmas Day.

The woman was violated near a pathway she was using at Pine Valley.
Meanwhile, on December 28, a 24-year-old woman of Mankayane fell prey to a perpetrator who allegedly raped her in a forest at Nkhangala. The incident happened in broad daylight.

Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) Executive Director Nonhlanhla Dlamini lamented that not only rape cases were increasing by the day, but murder and other crimes as well.

She said it was appalling that culprits continue to commit such cases when different groups, private or public, continuously preach the gospel against violence and sexual assault.

“I do not know how else we can try to mitigate such crimes in the country because we have had laws enacted for the primary purpose of deterring prospective offenders, but the cases continue to soar,” said Dlamini, sounding defeated.

Further, she mentioned that the wheels of the law turned in a snail’s pace in apprehending the culprits and bringing them to task so that they could answer for their crimes.

Still, Dlamini expressed hope that if such cases could be closed quicker and the suspects convicted, prospective offenders could be deterred.

Additionally, the director stated that survivors of abuse suffer life-long emotional scars that make some of them hard to forge romantic relationships. Therefore, she implored perpetrators of abuse to consider this before violating women and children.

To the survivors of abuse, Dlamini encouraged them to seek counselling to enable them to live with the trauma. The police service in its first quarter performance report (April to June 2024) reported that from July 1 to September 30, a total of 214 rape cases were reported.

This number reflected an increase from the 204 cases reported during the same period in 2023.
Meanwhile, a total of 246 cases were reported during the first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year. This means that a total of 460 rape cases were reported from April to September 2024. Increased intervention of the police following alarming statistics of fatal traffic accidents yielded positive results.

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