EFF leader Julius Malema has met with the family of a seven-year-old girl, known as Cwecwe, who was allegedly raped at Bergview College in the Eastern Cape last year. During his visit, Malema pledged his party’s full support for the family’s fight for justice.
“The EFF stands firmly with Cwecwe and her family in their courageous pursuit of justice,” Malema said. “This horrific crime is not just an individual tragedy—it exposes a system that repeatedly fails our most vulnerable children. We will not rest until every perpetrator is held accountable and the institutions that neglected their duty face consequences for their silence and inaction.”
The case has drawn widespread outrage, with protests demanding justice for the young victim. Despite public pressure, police investigations have yet to yield arrests or identify suspects. Parliament’s portfolio committee on police has previously criticized law enforcement for their slow response.
EFF committee member Rebecca Mohlala called for a parliamentary inquiry, stating:
“This case must trigger a full review of SAPS’ rape investigation protocols, especially the failures in child protection units, forensic delays, and poor coordination with health services. If we don’t act decisively, the blood of future victims will stain both the police and the state.”
In a recent development, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu apologized to Bergview principal Jaco Pieters after wrongly implicating him as a suspect.
“I take responsibility for the statement, issued in good faith based on the information I had at the time. There was no malicious intent,” Mchunu said.
The EFF’s intervention amplifies pressure on authorities to expedite the case, as activists and the family await long-overdue justice.