A frightening 4,512 women were reported to be missing in SA in the three years between April 2016 and March 2019.

Police minister Bheki Cele revealed in a written response to a parliamentary question that 1,206 women were reported missing in the country in 2016/17. The number shot up to 1,481 in 2017/18, and again increased to 1,825 women being reported missing in 2018/19.

The question was posed by DA MP Nomsa Tarabella Marchesi.

Fewer children were reported missing during the same period, at 2,706 over the three years – with 967 having gone missing in 2018/19, 852 in 2017/18 and 887 in 2016/17.

Cele's response revealed that an overwhelming majority, almost 80%, of the total number of women who were reported missing were Africans (3,598). White women made up 258 of the cases, coloured women 595 and Indian women 63.