BuildOneSA (BOSA) and the DA have both called for harsher measures against sexual offenders in South Africa.
In a statement on Monday, BOSA leader Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, said that the party had launched a petition calling for the National Register of Sexual Offenders (NRSO) to be made public and readily accessible, as the current process was not fair to the victims.
“Today Build One South Africa (BOSA) launches a nationwide petition advocating for the National Register of Sexual Offenders (NRSO) to be made public and readily accessible to anyone in the country. The current protocol to access the Register is a time-consuming process that requires paying a fee of R150 and a waiting period of minimum six weeks.
“This practice discourages transparency and inhibits the naming and shaming of sexual offenders - a necessary step towards accountability. We are petitioning the concerned authorities – in particular the Minister of Police and Minister of Justice - to make the NRSO publicly accessible and user-friendly.
“We believe that the ease of access to such information is crucial to the security and well-being of our communities, particularly the most vulnerable among us,” she said.
She added that making the NRSO public would be a significant step towards deterring sexual offenders and those who abuse women.
“Increased transparency in this area will also promote community vigilance, also aiding in the fight against sexual abuse and gender-based violence. We encourage everyone who values truth, justice, and community safety to raise their voice and sign this petition. Let’s demand public and easy access to the NRSO,” she said.
Meanwhile, the DA said there should be serious consequences for sex offenders, following a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) which revealed that South Africa was one of the countries with the highest incidents of teenage pregnancies.
The report indicated that nearly 1 in 4 girls fell pregnant before turning 20 years old.
The DA said it was alarmed that more than 122 000 teenagers gave birth this past financial year, with 2 716 young girls 10 to 14 years-old, and 119 587 teens aged 15 to 19 were facing parenthood while still being children themselves.
Deputy social development spokesperson for the DA, Alexandra Abrahams, told ‘SABC News’ that the levels of teenage pregnancies in the country was worrying.
“We as the DA are shocked and very alarmed by the statistics and they do seem to be increasing. We need to be asking ourselves the question of the 2 716 young girls between the ages of 10/14, how many of those cases have been reported to the police and how many convictions do we have from those cases because one of the solutions to solving the crisis is there need to be serious consequences for perpetrators,” Abrahams said.
The Star