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The National Register for Sex Offenders reportedly lists more than 32,500 convicted offenders, with an additional 10,456 potential entries still pending in various courts.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) said this was revealed to them by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, recently after a written parliamentary enquiry.
The response comes after a recent study revealed that 16,097 teachers in South Africa have a criminal background, including rape, murder and assault.
The register has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after Kubayi’s decision to halt its publication after consideration of “the confidentiality and disclosure provisions in the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Act”.
While the move was welcomed by the Information Regulator, Bosa argued the list of perpetrators needed to known as soon as possible.
“Given South Africa’s alarming rates of gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual crimes, the need for public access to this crucial information cannot be overstated.
“BOSA firmly believes that the public interest in protecting future victims from sexual abuse outweighs any privacy concerns for convicted offenders,” deputy leader Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster said.
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She said that South Africans remain in the dark about known sex offenders living within their communities, posing a serious threat to the safety of women and children.
“We cannot continue to shield convicted sex offenders at the expense of innocent lives. Public access to this register is a necessary step toward accountability and prevention.”
The party had submitted a formal request under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), arguing a “public interest” override.
In addition, it has held a petition, accumulating nearly 20,000 signatures, calling for the register to be publicly accessible.
“Our communities deserve to know who these offenders are—those who roam our streets, enter our workplaces, and infiltrate our homes, often putting our children at risk.
“We will not accept further delays, and we will not allow empty promises to hinder the fight against gender-based violence and sexual violence,” added acting spokesperson Roger Solomons.
Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez previously told The Citizen that privacy laws shouldn’t protect perpetrators of sexual crimes.
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“Parents had no way to check if the people they trusted with their children have a history of sexual crimes. That is going to change now. Our argument has always been that privacy laws shouldn’t protect perpetrators of sexual crimes.
“In South Africa, the conviction rates of these crimes are notoriously low because the children who fall prey to these monsters are often too young to testify in court.
“Going forward, one way will be able to check the NRSO for anyone and the publication of the list means that child predators after their conviction will now be known to the public and will never be in the position to work with children again,” she said.
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The Information Regulator last week said delaying the publication of the register would allow for a thorough legislative review of its alignment with the Protection of Personal Information Act requirements.
“Sexual assault and gender-based violence are doubtlessly a scourge in South Africa, and all legally sound actions must be taken to protect the vulnerable against such egregious violations of their rights to bodily integrity and human dignity.
“However, in a rules-based society such as South Africa, it is also imperative that such action must fall within the confines of the law,” the regulator’s spokesperson Mukelani Dimba said.
There have also been questions over how the registry will be maintained and implemented.
Previously, only institutions caring for vulnerable persons had access to the list, but some of these organisations reported that access took several weeks and cost R150 per request.
Additional reporting by Faizel Patel and Thando Nondywana
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