SAPS Lieutenant-General rape case: More victims may emerge

The South African Police Service says more victims could come forward after detectives arrested a 59-year-old Lieutenant-General accused of raping an 18-year-old woman and grooming a 16-year-old girl.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said on Tuesday that a specialised team was ready to receive further complaints or information linked to the senior officer.

“We cannot rule out the possibility of more victims coming forward,” Mathe said.

She urged other possible victims not to remain silent and assured them that investigators would treat their information confidentially.

“If there are any victims out there, they should not be afraid,” she said.

The Lieutenant-General faces allegations that he sexually groomed a 16-year-old girl between July and August 2026 and raped an 18-year-old woman at a Sandton hotel in May.

Members of the Commission’s Recommendations Task Team (CRTT) arrested him on Monday after investigators gathered evidence in the case.

SAPS SAYS TEAM GATHERED ‘OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE’

Mathe said the sensitivity of the allegations and the officer’s senior rank led investigators to handle the case with particular care.

“You are not just talking about any police officer. You are talking about a high-ranking police officer,” she said.

She said the CRTT conducted what amounted to an undercover investigation while protecting the integrity of the case and the identities of the 16-year-old and 18-year-old complainants.

According to Mathe, investigators worked until they believed they had gathered sufficient evidence to take the matter to court.

She described the evidence as “overwhelming”, but stressed that the court must decide the officer’s guilt or innocence.

“There is a case to answer to, but let’s leave it to the courts and let us not obviously pronounce on whether a person is innocent or guilty,” she said.

FCS EXPERTS ROPED IN

SAPS has also brought in members of its Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations Unit to assist.

Mathe said SAPS operates 177 FCS units across the country, but investigators had to consider the rank of the accused and the sensitivity of the allegations when deciding how to handle the initial investigation.

The CRTT, which arrested the Lieutenant-General, was established to deal with recommendations and criminal referrals emerging from the Madlanga Commission process. The officer has also featured in corruption-related investigations, according to reports.

Mathe said the task team includes experienced detectives and specialists drawn from different policing units.

‘WE ARRESTED OUR OWN’

Mathe said the arrest showed that seniority would not shield an officer from investigation.

“The fact that it is us that arrested our own and we brought the matter before court does showcase that we are quite serious with obviously dealing decisively with GBVF within our ranks,” she said.

Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane also condemned the allegations, saying police officers carried a heightened responsibility to protect women and children.

“Police officers are entrusted with protecting women and children. They cannot themselves be implicated in conduct that undermines this responsibility,” Dimpane said.