Minister Tolashe Condemns Sexual Assault of 12-Year-Old in Soweto, Suspect Arrested

• Authorities have confirmed the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Dobsonville, Western Soweto
• The Department of Social Development said social workers have been deployed to provide trauma counselling
• Minister Sisisi Tolashe called on the public to remain vigilant and to report cases of abuse

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

GAUTENG, DOBSONVILLE - Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has strongly condemned the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Dobsonville, Western Soweto, which occurred during the Easter weekend.

12-year-old girl rape in Soweto

A 58-year-old man allegedly attacked the child. The suspect has since been arrested and is expected to appear in court soon. Following the incident, the Department of Social Development confirmed that social workers have been deployed to provide trauma counselling and psychosocial support to the victim and her family. Minister Tolashe urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report such crimes, describing the incident as a reflection of the country's ongoing gender-based violence and femicide crisis.

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Department spokesperson Sandy Godlwana said the department had noted the incident with concern and called on South Africans to report cases of this nature, as gender-based violence and femicide have been declared a national disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa. She added that, as the custodian of the Children's Act 38 of 2005, the department has a legislative mandate to ensure the protection of children's rights and well-being.

Other rape incidents in SA

South Africans are outraged after a 58-year-old man appeared in court for the brutal rape of a one-year-old baby girl, who happens to be his granddaughter. The man, who has not been named as yet, appeared in the Johannesburg Central Magistrate's Court, facing charges of rape and attempted murder. The attempted murder charges were added after it was confirmed that the 58-year-old is HIV-positive.

A 59-year-old childminder was arrested in Jeffreys Bay on Saturday after a two-year-old girl was discovered with open wounds to her upper body in the early hours of 1 January 2026. Eastern Cape police indicated that officers were called to a home on Govan Mbeki Street in the Tokyo Sexwale on Thursday morning (1 January 2026), following a complaint about an injured toddler. When police arrived, they found the child with multiple wounds to her upper body. Authorities noted that the childminder was allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

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No arrests were made after a three-year-old child was raped, allegedly by a scholar transport driver in Botlokwa, Limpopo. According to SABC News, the driver allegedly transported her to the Creche when the incident happened. The toddler started complaining to her grandmother that she was in pain. The grandmother rushed her to the hospital, where she was examined. The doctors confirmed that she had been raped.

Source: Briefly News