Justice Minister, Ronald Lamola, will on Friday open the 93rd sexual offences court at Sibasa near Thohoyandou in Limpopo.
Crime statistics released earlier on Thursday show that 52420 sexual offences were reported nationally between April 2018 and the end of March 2019.
Spokesperson for the Justice Department, Chrispin Phiri, says over 4 000 of the cases were handled by sexual offences courts and there was a 74 % conviction rate.
“To date we have 92 sexual offences courts across the country and by the end of this financial year the department of justice will ensure that 11 sexual offences courts are opened. To date we can confirm that through the sexual offences courts 4724 matters have been heard, in fact in the last financial year, and there has been a conviction rate of 74%. So although this is maybe not enough but its clearly a step in the right direction.”
The Sibasa Sexual Offences Court is in line with the government’s commitment to fight the scourge of gender-based violence.
The sexual offences courts were reintroduced by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in 2013 to provide specialized redress to victims of sexual abuse and violence and to reduce the turnaround time in finalizing these matters before court.
They aim to provide victims centric services and to reduce secondary victimization of victims so that they can get justice.
Minister Lamola will be joined by Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Dickson Masemola.
