Thohoyandou police station registered the most number of rapes and sexual offences in the country.
Limpopo must be declared a gender-based violence disaster zone, says the ANC Women’s League.
This is after a large number of contact crimes such as rape, murder and sexual harassment were registered in different police stations across the province in the fourth quarter of 2024/25.
The province’s Thohoyandou police station has been branded the rape capital of South Africa after it registered the most number of rapes and sexual offences in the country.
Despite the fourth quarter crime statistics revealing a decrease in contact crimes, Limpopo recorded 105 cases including murder, assault GBH, rape, robbery and theft.
The second biggest political party in the Limpopo provincial legislature, the DA, said Thohoyandou was in the top 30 stations for all contact crimes, where it ranked 15th. The station also appeared in the top 30 stations for various crimes 13 times.
“Thohoyandou is most often against the downward trend of a specific crime category in Limpopo, with increases in assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm [GBH], common assault and common robbery.
“Urgent high-level intervention is required as the SA Police Service (Saps) is losing the battle against crime in Thohoyandou,” DA provincial spokesperson for transport and community safety Marie Helm said.
GBV crisis
Helm, who doubles up as a member of the Limpopo legislature in Lebowakgomo, said Thohoyandou ranked first nationally for reported sexual offences and rape, Seshego police station 13th and Mankweng 18th in the top 30 stations for sexual offences.
She said the per capita chances of being raped in Limpopo was above the national average and was indicative of persistent misguided efforts to instil a lack of zero tolerance for gender-based violence and femicide (GBV+F) in the society, as well as a lack of resources and experienced investigating officers.
Provincial deputy speaker for the Limpopo legislature and secretary of the ANC Women’s League in the province, Tebogo Mamorobela, pleaded with Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba to declare Limpopo a gender-based violence disaster zone.
She said defenceless women and children were abused on a daily basis.
Mamorobela added that the level of crime in Limpopo has reached a boiling point and the government and communities must join forces to win the war against it.
No place for criminals
Transport and community safety MEC Violet Mathye said there was no place for criminals, especially those who prey on defenceless women and children in her government.
The MEC was speaking during a visit to the family of slain Ndzalamo Mlondobozi, who died after her live-in lover allegedly ran over her with a car.
No arrests have been made and police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said investigations were still underway.
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“We have launched a war against crime, especially against the terrorists who lash out at our innocent women and children,” Mathye said.
“That is why our government, under the stewardship of our premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba is here today. We are here to provide support and pay our condolences to the family.
“We promise that no one is above the law and we will do everything and anything in our power to ensure that justice is served and that the perpetrator in this case is made to face the law, come high or low water.”
On the rape and murder heightened statistics, Matye said Thohoyandou police station was the entry and exit of all African people from the Southern African Development Community countries into South Africa through the Beit Bridge border post.
Without revealing the budget, Mathye said funds had been allocated and set aside to build more police stations and satellite police stations in the Vhembe region this financial year.
“We believe the more police stations we have in that region, the lower the statistics will be,” Mathye said.
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