May 25, 2026 Motor Industry Staff Association, MISA, Martlé Keyter, crime statistics
MISA comment - Protect women and children in their homes
Everyone has an obligation to report it to the South African Police Service (SAPS) if a child is exposed to domestic violence, but according to the latest crime statistics women remain most vulnerable in places where they should feel safest. According to MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, these statistics emphases the importance of the upcoming Child Protection Week awareness campaign from 29 May to 5 June under the theme “working together to end violence against children.”
Martlé Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations, says the crime statistics indicates that South African communities are oblivious to the Domestic Violence Amendment Act according to which it is also a crime for children to witness or listen to domestic violence. “Research have shown there are lasting effects to the exposure or witnessing of domestic violence. Girls becoming victims, while boys become the perpetrators. We need to educate our communities and especially our children,” says Keyter.
According to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia half of all reported rapes in South Africa, during the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, occurred at home. Of the 9 782 rapes recorded between January and March 2026, 4 620 took place either at the home of the victim or the perpetrator. More than 1 500 murders, during the same period, also occurred in domestic settings. Cachalia warned that arguments, alcohol abuse, toxic masculinity and the normalisation of violence, continue to fuel violent crimes. During the quarter, more than 7 200 incidents of murder, attempted murder, rape and assault were linked to alcohol abuse.
According to a United Nations report referenced by MISA, South Africa’s femicide rate is five times higher than the global average, with more than half of murdered women killed by intimate partners or men known to them. “Every life lost to gender-based violence is a tragedy that leaves families broken, communities traumatised and workplaces deeply affected. South Africa cannot become numb to these horrific realities. Women and children should not have to fear the very people they trust most,” says Keyter.
The Union believes policing alone will not solve the crisis and has called for urgent, coordinated interventions across society. “Protecting women and children must become a national priority. We need stronger accountability, stronger protection systems and a cultural shift that rejects violence in all its forms. The right to safety is enshrined in our Constitution, yet too many South Africans continue to live in fear in their own homes,” says Keyter.
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