DA takes Cachalia to task over looming rape kit shortage

The DA has taken legal action against the Acting Police Minister, Feroz Cachalia, over a looming rape kit shortage in the Western Cape, warning survivors could be denied crucial forensic testing from 1 August. The party formally, through its lawyers, placed Cachalia on notice to respond to the crisis regarding the supply of D1 (for adults) and D7 (for children) forensic evidence collection kits (“rape kits”) in the Western Cape. No rape kits DA NCOP member on security & justice Dominique Jeftha said the party has learnt that Saps will not have rape kits to administer crucial testing of rape victims beyond 1 August in the Western Cape.

“The Minister stated that delivery of rape kits would take place on 24 July 2026, meaning they have just over a week to ensure delivery to all SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Violence (FCS) units in the Western Cape by 1 August 2026. “In response to a parliamentary question posed by the DA, the Acting Minister stated that, following the expiry of the previous rape kits supply contract on 3 April 2026, SAPS procured 11 540 D1 and D7 forensic evidence collection kits during April 2026,” Jeftha said. Complaint Jeftha claimed that during an oversight conducted on 14 and 15 May 2026, numerous FCS Units and police stations in the Western Cape were found to have no rape kits available.

“To date, the Acting Minister has failed to explain how more than 11 000 kits could allegedly have been procured in April while frontline investigators were unable to access them only weeks later.” Jeftha said the DA has further filed a complaint against the Western Cape Provincial Supply Chain Head, Maj. Voskuil, for his failure to ensure regular rape kit supplies. “Should the Minister fail to adhere to the DA’s demand for a constant supply of sufficient rape kits in the Western Cape, the DA will not hesitate to approach the courts to force the SAPS to uphold their constitutional duty.” Jeftha said the only way to clean up the “scourge of GBV” is to catch and convict rapists and child rapists.