| 2024/12/06 |
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Media Statement KWAZULU-NATAL – The South African Police Service (SAPS) is observing this year’s 16 Days of activism of no violence against women and children by highlighting the work of its men and women in blue who work tirelessly to put behind bars those involved in the abuse of our country’s women, children and vulnerable groups. Today, we introduce the nation to Lieutenant Colonel Nondumiso Mabaso who is based at the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Head Office Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. This forensic social worker has 13 years’ service having joined the organisation in 2011. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work: Child Care and Protection and Post Graduate Diploma in Forensic Investigation and completed various internal courses. She describes her role as a forensic social worker as vital in ensuring sexually abused children have voices in the courts of law. In pursuit of justice, Mabaso has dedicated her life to investigating cases of sexual abused children and compiling victim assessment reports to secure harsher sentences for sexual predators and GBV perpetrators. As a forensic social worker and an expert witness before the courts of law, she has conducted more than 1000 assessments on cases involving abused children, and successfully secured several convictions ranging from minimum sentences to life sentences. Her significant impact is to make a difference in the lives of sexual abused children and ensuring perpetrators pay for their sins. Over period of 11 years’, Mabaso through her meticulous assessment skills and investigative prowess has secured 20 life terms sentences and an additional 200 years’ for 24 convicted sex predators and GBV perpetrators. One of her career highlights include her working on a case of a minor who was raped when she was six-years-old. The victim did not disclose the sexual incident to her parents because the perpetrator was her uncle. When the case landed in Mabaso’s table to assess the child victim, she systematically and patiently obtained the victim’s statement and compiled a competency assessment report which assisted the court to hand down an appropriate sentence. Her work resulted in the conviction and sentencing by Scottburgh Magistrates Court of a 50-year-old man after finding him guilty of rape charges. He was handed one life term in prison for rape last year. Colonel Mabaso’s professional success is a testament to her personal commitment and resolute to eradicating gender-based violence in our society. Beyond being a forensic social worker, Mabaso inspires a clarion call to action, reminding us that justice for the victims of gender-based violence is not solely the responsibility of law enforcement, it is a duty that rests with society as a whole. Communities must continue to create environment for victims to feel empowered to speak up and perpetrators face justice. “We are all responsible to eradicate any incidents of gender-based violence in our society, and also to create environment where victims feel safe and empowered to speak up, and report perpetrators to the police. Parents should educate their children about safety, especially over the holiday period when children are often vulnerable to becoming victims of sexual abuse”, said Mabaso. Ends
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