The department of correctional services has revealed that nearly 600 teenagers are currently being held in two Eastern Cape juvenile facilities for serious violent crimes, including murder and rape.
The numbers are alarming, not just for correctional services but for everyone. It speaks to a deeper crisis in our schools, families and communities.
According to the report, the two youth facilities have a combined total of 588 offenders. Most are at Nxuba (formerly Cradock), with 443 young people.
Of those, 91 are in custody pending the finalisation of court proceedings. The eMaXesibeni facility (formerly Mount Ayliff) holds 145.
Crimes these young people are accused of committing include murder, robbery, housebreaking and, at eMaXesibeni, rape.
The department says the biggest challenge at both facilities is repeat offending.
The ages given are concerning. The youngest offender is only 17, while others are 18.
With repeat offending highlighted as a challenge, it points to a system unable to break the cycle that leads these young people back to crime.
The correctional services report is the second in recent weeks to bring to light the issue of violent crime among the province’s youth.
A report tabled in the Bhisho legislature by the department of community safety recently revealed that 1,082 pupils were arrested in the province over five financial years.
Crimes range from murder and drug trafficking to illegal firearm possession.
The age of offenders was another disturbing factor highlighted. The report found that 26 primary schoolchildren were arrested for drug possession and 21 for illegal firearm possession in the year 2025/2026 alone.
This report is a clear indication that children can slip into a life of crime at a very young age, long before teenagers end up in juvenile facilities.
Rehabilitation works but it requires the right programmes and commitment from everyone
People often blame poverty, but activists and experts argue that there are many factors at play.
Child’s rights activist Petros Majola says the figures point to “a deeper societal failure” and stresses that families need to be actively involved in instilling values and discipline in their children instead of taking a backseat.
Dr Lesley Ann Foster highlights factors such as children witnessing violence and growing up around aggression in their homes and communities.
Luke Lamprecht says a combination of trauma, exposure to violence, hunger and poor education can lead to a situation where dangerous life choices become more likely.
The brutality of crimes like murder and rape cannot be minimised. Victims and families need justice, and those responsible must be held accountable regardless of their age.
But if the approach is only to lock them up with no rehabilitation or intervention, young offenders are likely to repeat the same patterns.
The Child Justice Act is designed to be restorative rather than purely punitive. Rehabilitation should be the centre of the response, not an afterthought.
Rehabilitation works but it requires the right programmes and commitment from everyone, including families, schools and communities.
Daily Dispatch
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