Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson Ian Cameron has launched a 30-day campaign to increase public access to information about convicted sexual offenders in South Africa. The campaign aims to publish at least one photograph, name, verified conviction, and sentence of an adult sexual offender each day using information from public court records. This move seeks to bridge the gap between available information through courts and the public's limited access to the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO).
The NRSO is intended to record people convicted of sexual offences against children and other vulnerable individuals. Although employers working with vulnerable groups can conduct prescribed checks, the register is generally not open to the public. Cameron emphasized that the campaign is not an attempt to reproduce the confidential NRSO but to expose the gap between available information and public access.
The campaign has received support from various quarters, including the Kwanele Foundation, which advocates for greater public access to the register to protect women, children, men, and boys. The foundation's founder, Sihle Sibisi, stressed the importance of safeguards to ensure that victims' names are never published and that information is limited to offenders who have been convicted in court.
The issue of public access to the NRSO has been under consideration by the Justice Department for over a year. In September 2025, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi informed Parliament that the Office of the Chief State Law Adviser had concluded that the register could not be made public under existing law. Kubayi stated that a law of general application would be required, and she had directed the department to prepare the necessary legislative amendments.
However, Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, Build One SA (BOSA) Deputy Leader and Johannesburg mayoral candidate, questioned the progress of these amendments, noting that the government had indicated they had been drafted and circulated for comment. Hlazo-Webster emphasized that the public has a legitimate interest in knowing whether the system designed to protect children and vulnerable people is working.
The Department of Justice confirmed on September 29 that work on legislative amendments aimed at ensuring greater public access to the register is continuing. Cameron and Hlazo-Webster have both stressed that public access should not mean publishing addresses, identity numbers, or victims' details. The campaign aims to put renewed pressure on the government to address the lack of public access to information about convicted sexual offenders.
The NRSO reportedly contains about 32,000 names, but South Africans currently have no meaningful way of knowing whether someone who poses a known risk is listed. The campaign and proposed legislative changes aim to enhance transparency and public safety by providing greater access to information about convicted sexual offenders.
Key points
- The campaign aims to publish at least one photograph, name, verified conviction, and sentence of an adult sexual offender each day.
- The NRSO reportedly contains about 32,000 names of individuals convicted of sexual offences.
- The Justice Department is working on legislative amendments to ensure greater public access to the register.
