Mixed reaction to proposal of chemical castrations’ for rapists

Human Rights activist Petros Majola says he supports the notion of imposing chemical castration for rapists on condition that a thorough investigation into the matter is done.

ANC sub-committee suggests chemical castration for rapists

He says it would be necessary to check if these things will be conducted on the correct targets, considering that South African law still has to contend with erroneous convictions.

“Remember in South Africa, we still have a challenge with investigations where wrong people would be arrested, prosecuted and convicted, but after a number of years they will be released for wrongful arrest. So we need to make sure that whatever we want to do, we tighten our investigation system, so that we don’t kill the wrong person. Because if you talk about castration, you talk about killing that person’s manhood, so that we don’t kill the wrong person,” he stresses.

Human right violation

Meanwhile, an Eastern Cape based NGO, Masimanyane Women’s Right International, has described the call for chemical castration of sexual offenders as an idea that could be a potential violation of human rights.

Masimanyane was reacting to the proposal of the chair of ANC Sub-Committee on Social Transformation, Lindiwe Sisulu who reintroduced the ANC Women’s League call at the ANC’s Policy Conference at Nasrec – south of Johannesburg.

ANC Social Transformation Sub-Committee proposes chemical castration for rapists:

Gang rape

The call was made as police investigate the brutal gang rape of eight young women at Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.

Director of Masimanyane, Dr Lesely-Anne Foster says the proposal will have negative implications on other human rights.

Foster explains, “If we roll back one human rights and quite a critical one then it opens the door to us losing and backtracking on other human rights. So I think that it is not a good suggestion or proposal at all. I don’t think it will stop the surge of rape. What we have to do is to change norms within our society and attitude and behaviours of our community members.”

So far 83 suspects have been arrested following the ordeal.