Action Society highlights South Africa's gender-based violence crisis

Action Society, a civil activist organisation has spoken out against gender-based highlighting several cases that's before the courts where perpetrators are appearing for vicious attack on women and children.

The organisation which supports victims of violent crimes and their families, by keeping an eye on the cases before the courts, said South Africa is facing an unrelenting crisis of violence against women and children, "yet the systems responsible for safeguarding them continue to crumble". "This week’s court roll again exposes a justice system marked by repeated postponements, weak offender monitoring, and cases that drag on while families wait in anguish. Instead of providing answers and accountability, the system continues to deliver delays and devastation.

It said the decision by police to exclude crime statistics for women and children from its latest quarterly report "is an unacceptable breach of public trust".

"At a time when violence against vulnerable groups is spiralling, government has withheld the very data needed to confront the crisis. Transparency is not optional when lives are at stake,” said Kaylynn Palm, head of Action Society’s Action Centre in the Western Cape.

Action Society has called for urgent intervention to restore integrity to the justice system, "including a reformed parole process for violent offenders, transparent reporting of all crime data, and strict accountability for every institutional failure that contributes to repeated trauma for victims and families".

"Justice delayed is justice denied, and right now South Africa’s women and children are being denied both justice and protection," Palm said.

The organisation highlighted several cases that are before the  courts the dates of their next appearance.

Paarl regional court: Asiphe Cetywayo: raped, murdered, burned with acid.

Last appearance: 23 October and 24 November. Next appearance: 8 December 2025.

Asiphe, a final-year teaching student with a bright future, was raped and murdered on 3 March 2024. Her mutilated body, burnt with acid, was discovered the next day by a herdsman at Vlakkeland dumping site. The case was in court on 23 October and 24 November 2025 and was postponed to 8 December 2025.

Chanelle Plaatjies: Missing, found murdered.

Last appearance: 27 November 2025. Next appearance: 29 January 2026.

Chanelle was last seen on 14 May 2025 and was reported missing on 28 May 2025. In the days that followed, Chanelle’s family and the broader Paarl East community launched a tireless search which led to a chilling discovery: a shallow grave near a dam. A female body, wrapped in a black bag, was found on 2 June 2025. Chanelle’s father began digging after the shoe was discovered, before police took over the scene. DNA results later confirmed what the family feared - the body was Chanelle’s. The case was heard on 27 November 2025 and was postponed to 29 January 2026, for inditement and a high court date. The investigation has been finalised.

Wynberg Magistrate's court: Nine-year-old Lavender(not her real name) raped by parolee.

Last appearance: 4 November 2025. Next appearance: 11 December 2025.

The nine-year-old girl was brutally raped in Hanover Park in May 2025. The accused, who allegedly lured the child to his home, was out on parole after he was convicted in 2008 of raping and indecently assaulting a 10-year-old child. The case has fuelled calls for stricter parole conditions for violent offenders and the publication of the National Register of Sexual Offenders. The case appeared in the Wynberg Regional Court on 4 November 2025 where it was postponed to 11 December for legal representative consultation.

Wynberg Regional Court:  Melissa Dale: Disabled woman raped and murdered.

Last appearance: 21 November 2025. Next appearance: 1 June 2026.

Melissa Bianca Dale, a woman who lived with a disability, was raped and murdered on 16 June 2023 at Wynberg Military Base, allegedly by the son of a Defence Force member. The case has been plagued by repeated postponements. The case appeared in court again on 21 November only to be postponed once again to 1 June 2026 for trial.

Melanie Stoffels: Murdered with a hammer while pregnant.

Last appearance: 2 December 2025. Next appearance: 28 January 2026.

Melanie, pregnant at the time, was brutally beaten to death with a hammer in Heideveld on 7 August 2024. The incident was orchestrated as an apparent hit ordered by her ex-girlfriend. A male accomplice, Quinton Jacobs, surrendered to police on 11 August, and the ex-girlfriend was later arrested. The case against Jacobs continued in court today and was postponed to 28 January 2026 for the pre-sentencing report after he pleaded guilty. The female accused did not appear.

Protea Court: Bakkie murderer to be sentenced soon. Last appearance: 5 November 2025. Next appearance: 5 February 2026. Nomasonto was an employee at the Randfontein Magistrate Court and had just finished her shift on 21 February 2024. She was walking across the street behind the court when a man driving a bakkie struck her with his vehicle. As seen on CCTV footage, which has been circulating online, the suspect was speeding directly toward Nomasonto and then continued to reverse over her again after he first struck her. Her injuries were fatal. The case appeared in court on 5 November 2025 and was postponed to 5 February 2026 for sentencing after the accused pleaded guilty.

Malmesbury regional court: Malmesbury molester.

Last appearance: 7 November 2025. Next appearance: 26 January 2026.

The case against a serial child molester in Malmesbury continued in November 2025. First arrested in 2021 for child molestation, the accused was released on a warning. He has admitted to struggling with urges to harm children, yet mental health evaluations contradict claims that he cannot control himself. Action Society believes he is a dangerous predator who must never be allowed near children again. The case was heard in the Malmesbury Regional Court on 7 November for plea negotiations. The matter has been postponed to 26 January 2026 for judgement. 

Mitchells Plain regional court. Lekesha Marthinus.

Judgement against Austin du Plessis postponed

Last appearance: 28 November 2025. Next appearance: 4 December 2025.

The judgement against Austin du Plessis, the accused in 18-year-old Lekesha Marthinus’s murder was postponed for the second time on 28 November 2025. Lekesha died on 5 November 2022 after du Plessis, her boyfriend at the time, threw a beer bottle at her head while she was holding her nine-month-old baby. She was rushed to hospital and declared dead on arrival. Judgement is set to be delivered on 4 December 2025.

Firdous Kleinschmidt: Killed by stray bullet.

Last appearance: 10 and 17 November 2025. Next appearance: 8 December 2025.

Firdous Kleinschmidt, a 13-year-old Grade 7 pupil was killed on 30 January 2024 after being struck by a stray bullet at school in Beacon Valley. She was waiting for her school transport on the school grounds. The accused has multiple murder cases against him – unrelated to Firdous’s killing and the court often have all the cases scheduled on the same day. The murder trial for Firdous’s case did not continue between 17 and 25 November – the other murder case against the accused was heard instead. The cases was postponed to 8 December for further trial.

Khayelitsha regional court: Barbershop massacre.

Last appearance: 19 November 2025. Next appearance: 29 January 2026.

Athule Mtsha and Sithisa Masiko face charges related to a mass shooting at a Khayelitsha barbershop on 8 June 2024, which resulted in the deaths of three children and a 30-year-old man, and left several others injured. The accused have been charged with four counts of murder, 11 counts of attempted murder, and possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition. The case has been postponed to 29 January 2026 for trial.

Johannesburg regional court. Viral child abuse case back in court.

Last appearance: 20 November 2025. Next appearance: 3 December 2025.

The three suspects aged between 28 and 36 – including the child’s biological mother and two adult males, accused of child abuse was back in court in November. The three appeared in a now viral and disturbing video circulating online, showing a young child being handed what appears to be Mandrax and encouraged to smoke it while adults laugh and watch to see if he stumbles around. The case was postponed to 3 December 2025 on 20 November 2025 for further investigation.

Cape Town High Court: Sheri-Ann Jacobs: Suicide claim turned out to be murder.

Last appearance: 21 November 2025. Next appearance: 27 February 2026.

Sheri-Ann was found dead in November 2021. Her death was initially treated as a suicide, but forensic findings and inconsistencies revealed that the crime scene had been staged. Subsequent evidence led to her husband, Jacques Pretorius, being charged with her murder. Pretorius appeared in court on 21 November 2025 and the case was postponed to 27 February 2026 for preliminary appearance to determine court dates.

Blue Down Regional court:  Janelle Laatoe and two others vs. serial abuser.

Last appearance: 28 November 2025. Next appearance: 4 February 2026.

The man accused in this case is alleged to have preyed on multiple women during their relationships with him, including Janelle Laatoe. Her ordeal, along with that of two other women, has brought them together in their search for justice against a serial abuser. The case continued on 28 November 2025 and was postponed to 4 February 2026.