Action Society has today launched a national campaign calling on parents across South Africa to take direct action and demand the immediate publication of the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO).
At the centre of the campaign is a coordinated effort encouraging parents to send formal letters to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, calling for the register to be made publicly accessible without further delay.
Action Society has also submitted a formal application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), requesting detailed information from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on the status, accuracy, and accessibility of the register.
The National Register for Sex Offenders was established to prevent individuals convicted of sexual offences from working with or gaining access to children and vulnerable persons. Despite this, it remains inaccessible to the public.
“Parents are expected to trust that the system is working, but they are denied access to information that could directly affect their child’s safety,” says Juanita du Preez, National Spokesperson for Action Society.
More than 26 000 sexual offences against children are reported in South Africa every year. In most of these cases, the perpetrator is someone known to the child. These offences often take place in environments where parents naturally place their trust, including homes, schools, transport systems, religious institutions, and community spaces.
“What concerns us is that the risk to children is often not outside their daily lives, but within it,” du Preez says. “Parents are making decisions about schools, caregivers, and activities without access to information that could help them assess that risk.”
The Department of Justice has previously indicated that the National Register for Sex Offenders would be made publicly accessible. To date, that has not happened, and no clear timeline has been communicated.
Through its PAIA application, Action Society is seeking clarity on key issues, including the number of individuals listed on the register, whether it accurately reflects convictions, how it is maintained, and what steps have been taken toward making it publicly available.
“If the register is not complete or not up to date, that is something the public needs to know,” du Preez says. “If there are delays or obstacles, those need to be explained. At the moment, there is very little transparency.”
The organisation also questions the continued reliance on privacy arguments to justify limiting access to the register.
“No parent is asking for unnecessary information,” du Preez says. “They are asking for the ability to make informed decisions about their children’s safety. That is a reasonable expectation.”
Action Society is calling on parents across South Africa to participate in the campaign by sending a formal letter to the Minister of Justice from Action Society’s website here, requesting that the National Register for Sex Offenders be published and made accessible to the public.
“The only way this changes is if enough people speak up,” du Preez says. “Parents need to understand that they have a voice in this, and that it matters.”
Action Society encourages parents, caregivers, and concerned citizens to take part in the campaign, share it within their communities, and call for greater transparency and accountability.
“We are asking a straightforward question,” du Preez says. “If this register exists to protect children, why is it not accessible to the people responsible for their safety?”
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