DA sues acting police minister over looming Western Cape rape‑kit shortage

The Democratic Alliance has launched legal action against Acting Police Minister Feroz Cachalia over a looming shortage of rape evidence collection kits in the Western Cape that the party says could deny survivors forensic testing from 1 August.

What the DA says

The DA, through its lawyers, has formally placed the acting minister on notice about the supply of D1 (for adults) and D7 (for children) forensic evidence collection kits. DA NCOP security and justice member Dominique Jeftha said the party had been told that the South African Police Service would not have kits available 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.”

Supply details from government responses

In response to a parliamentary question from the DA, the acting minister said that after the previous supply contract expired on 3 April 2026, SAPS procured 11 540 D1 and D7 forensic evidence collection kits during April 2026.

Jeftha said the acting minister has not explained how more than 11 000 kits could have been procured in April while frontline investigators were unable to access kits only weeks later.

On-the-ground reports and oversight findings

The DA said that during an oversight visit on 14 and 15 May 2026, numerous FCS units and police stations in the Western Cape were found to have no rape kits available. The party and civil society and media outlets have reported stockouts at police stations and FCS units.

Accountability steps

The DA has filed a complaint against the Western Cape Provincial Supply Chain Head, Maj. Genl. Voskuil, over the failure to ensure regular supplies of rape kits. Jeftha said the DA would approach the courts if the minister failed to secure a constant supply of sufficient kits in the Western Cape.

“The only way to clean up the ‘scourge of GBV’ is to catch and convict rapists and child rapists.”

What happens next

The DA has given the acting minister notice through its lawyers and indicated it will not hesitate to seek court intervention should supply fail to meet demand in the Western Cape.