The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the designation by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development, Ms. M. Kubayi, of 79 Regional Divisions across the 9 provinces for the establishment of Sexual Offences Courts. 

This is a progressive intervention by the African National Congress led government to ensure the full implementation of the 2021 overhauling of our sexual offences legislation and a major step forward in the struggle against gender-based violence, sexual harassment and femicide.  This will bring positive comfort to millions of girls and boys, women, the elderly, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ and other vulnerable persons who have been the victims of this cancer of abuse and violence.  It will allow for the development of specialised magistrates and prosecutors to boost woefully low prosecution and conviction rates as well as sentencing periods.

Whilst welcoming this long overdue step forward, it is critical that Treasury ensure the courts are adequately resourced to enable its meaningful implementation.  It is not enough to designate and put up a sign.

Specific courts must be allocated with holding rooms and separate benches where the victims and survivors of sexual offences will not be forced to sit next to or within close proximity of the perpetrators and thus exposed to further trauma and intimidation.

Court staff, police officers, social workers and other critical personnel must be well trained and resourced to ensure the full implementation of this important decision and to ensure that the rights of victims and survivors are respected at all times.

COSATU will be seeking further engagements with the Ministers for Justice and Constitutional Development as well as Finance on timeframes, budgetary allocations and training to ensure the rapid implementation of this bold decision.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za