The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) in South Africa has reported a concerning number of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) cases involving police officers in the 2025/26 financial year. According to IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping, the directorate registered 5,259 cases, with 332 of those being GBVF cases. This includes 116 acts of rape by a police officer, 58 cases of assault and torture, 24 murders, and 10 cases of the discharge of an official firearm.
The IPID report reveals that 72 of the rape cases being investigated were allegedly perpetrated by police while on duty, while 44 acts of rape were committed by off-duty police officers. KwaZulu-Natal registered the most GBVF cases, with 60, followed by Gauteng with 58, the Free State with 52, and the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape with 27 cases each. The top six police stations in cases of GBVF were Kimberley in the Northern Cape and Mariannhill in KZN with seven cases each.
In comparison to the previous year, IPID noted an increase in rape cases by a police officer, with 116 cases registered in 2025/2026, compared to 95 cases in 2024/2025. During the reporting period, IPID secured 84 criminal convictions of various crimes, with sentences ranging from a few months to life imprisonment. Of the 84 convictions secured, 26 were GBVF-related cases.
Civil society organisations have expressed deep concern over the latest GBVF statistics from IPID, pointing to the alarming involvement of law enforcement officers in perpetrating violence. Dot Field, chair of the GBVF Response Fund's Advocacy, Behaviour Change and Communications Committee, said the statistics are deeply concerning and highlight the broader challenges South Africa faces in ensuring GBVF cases are effectively investigated and prosecuted.
Field emphasised that it is particularly troubling that police officers are allegedly perpetrators in a significant number of the cases recorded, calling it completely unacceptable. The figures also reinforce the need for swift and effective investigation and prosecution. Field explained that the figures include only reported cases, meaning the true scale of violence against women and girls is likely far greater.
Vanessa Samuel-Chetty of the National Dialogue Steering Committee (GBVF Sector) highlighted that the figures may not truly reflect actual cases, citing corruption as a reason for underreporting. She also expressed disappointment over the conviction rate, saying there was an expectation of far more convictions, especially when cases were investigated by IPID.
The IPID report and the concerns from civil society organisations come as Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia reported that 50,511 GBVF cases were reported to the South African Police Service during the 2025/2026 financial year, with 30,736 resulting in arrests or referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority. The issue has also been linked to high-profile cases, such as the arrest of suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya on allegations of rape and other charges.
Key points
- IPID recorded 116 rape cases involving police officers in 2025/26.
- 332 GBVF cases involving police officers were registered by IPID in 2025/26.
- Civil society organisations have expressed concern over the involvement of police officers in GBVF cases.
