Chikunga concerned over young men accused of rape and murder

Minister for Women Sindisiwe Chikunga expressed her distress over the increasing number of cases involving young men accused of raping and murdering women in the country. Chikunga addressed the media outside Tembisa Magistrates' Court, where she followed the proceedings of an e-hailing driver who has been accused of raping a 17-year-old girl at gunpoint.

The driver is alleged to have had pornographic images of numerous women on his cellphone. Chikunga stated that they will continue to support the family throughout the trial, which is set to resume on September 28th. "Our statistics show that the rapists are becoming younger," she said, emphasizing that the young man accused in this case is equally young. Chikunga expressed her hope that the young driver remains in custody and will appear in court on the specified date.

She further conveyed her commitment to providing social workers for the victim and supporting her family, whose members - including the mother, father, and child - are visibly distraught and unable to comprehend how such an incident could occur in their lives.