Minister slams GBV in the force after trainee officer's alleged rape by Captain

Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has condemned the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV against female police officers and other sections of society tasked with protecting vulnerable groups who are among those arrested for gender-based violence (GBV) offences.

On Thursday, Ntshavheni briefed the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet Lekgotla in Pretoria, where she spoke on the recent high-profile arrests made between 5 and 11 May, including a police officer from the Tshwane SAPS Training Academy and a traditional leader from KwaZulu-Natal, both of whom are facing rape allegations.

“Among those arrested on allegations of rape from the 5th – 11th of May [are] a SAPS trainer and a chief from KZN which [is] very unfortunate. Because these two categories of people are entrusted with protecting communities. And a 13-year-old boy in Mpumalanga,” the minister said.

The minister's call for more to be done to protect vulnerable groups comes a day after the matter against the police captain currently at the Pretoria Magistrates Court was postponed to Friday, May 23 to allow the police watchdog – IPID to conduct further investigation into other alleged sexual assault incidents against the police officer.

The 59-year-old police captain is employed as a firearms trainer at the Tshwane Police Academy in Pretoria West.

According to NPA spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, the police captain, who has served in the South African Police Service (SAPS) for 31 years, faces a charge of rape after he allegedly raped the 20-year-old female police trainee after it was alleged that last month, the complainant walked past the accused, without saluting him.

The accused allegedly reprimanded her, accusing her of misconduct. The complainant explained that she had not seen him. It is alleged that on 6 May 2025, the trainee was walking with her platoon to their sleeping quarters when she was called by the police captain to his office. Once in the office, the police captain allegedly locked the door and told the trainee that if she does not sleep with him, he will serve her with a misconduct letter regarding an incident that allegedly happened in April, where the police captain accused the trainee of failing to salute him," she said.

Reacting to the rape incident president of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), Thulani Ngwenya expressed his shock over the matter saying the union is outraged.

"This appalling incident represents a serious betrayal of trust and abuse of authority, and POPCRU unequivocally condemns any form of Gender-Based Violence and Child Abuse (GBVC), especially when perpetrated by those entrusted with the training and development of future law enforcement officers. We firmly believe that training institutions must be safe spaces where discipline, ethics, and professionalism are instilled — not where young recruits are subjected to fear and exploitation," Ngwenya stated.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za