31/01/2022
On 28 January 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed three legislative Bills into law, in an attempt to strengthen South Africa's response to gender-based violence (GBV), namely: the Criminal Law (S*xual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill; the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill; and the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill.
These laws, amongst other things, do the following:
1) Expand the scope of the National Register for S*x Offenders (NRSO) to include the particulars of all s*x offenders and not only s*x offenders against children and persons who are mentally disabled;
2) Expand the list of people who are to be protected by anti-GBV legislation;
3) Increase the periods for which a s*x offender's details must remain in the NRSO before they can be removed;
4) Further regulated the granting and cancellation of bail; and
5) Add additional regulation of sentences of offences committed against vulnerable people.
Furthermore, the amended legislation now provides for 'controlling behaviour', 'coercive behavior', 'elder abuse' and 'exposing a child to domestic violence' as forms of domestic violence.
If you, or anyone that you know is suffering from domestic violence and wishes to apply for protection, please reach out to and a lawyer will be in contact with you shortly.
