SAPS praises Constable Rapelang during Women’s Month

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has praised 35-year-old Constable Refilwe Calphonia Rapelang, a dedicated investigator attached to the Kathu Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in the Northern Cape.

Constable Rapelang joined the police service in 2017 as a Constable. Her potential to investigate crimes against women and children was recognised while undergoing the Basic Police Development Learning Programme (BPDLP).

She received in-service training at the Postmasburg FCS Unit and was later permanently placed at the Kathu FCS Unit as an investigator.

Looking back at a career that stretches over nine years, Constable Rapelang says she wakes up every morning with a purpose, and that is to protect and serve the people of South Africa.

She has secured several successful convictions in court over the past few years.

A recent success includes the sentencing of 40-year-old Carlos Domingos by the Kathu Regional Court to two life imprisonment terms for raping two minor girls, aged seven and 10.

On Saturday, 11 October 2025, a concerned community member noticed Domingos with the two girls at a local dumping site and alerted their parents. The young victims then disclosed what had happened to them, and Domingos was arrested that same day.

Rapelang was assigned to investigate the case. Roping in the assistance of a forensic social worker, she meticulously pieced all the evidence together. Her quality investigation resulted in a water-tight case against the accused in court, who remained in custody until he was sentenced.

Beyond investigations, Rapelang actively participates in community awareness initiatives focused on preventing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), child abuse and sexual offences.

Rapelang, a mother of two girls, balances her demanding career by prioritising her physical and mental wellbeing through her passion for long-distance running.

“As an investigator of crimes against women, children and other vulnerable persons, my duty goes beyond building cases; it is about giving victims a voice, pursuing justice with compassion and integrity, and ensuring that those who prey on the vulnerable are held accountable,” said Rapelang.

The police continue to celebrate women in blue like Constable Refilwe Calphonia Rapelang this Women’s Month.

They embody the SAPS’ commitment to advancing the Reset Agenda by strengthening public trust, upholding the rule of law and delivering professional, ethical and people-centred policing to build a safer South Africa where every woman and girl can live free from fear. – SAnews.gov.za

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