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Since 25 November, during the 16 Days of Activism, the #NotOurLeaders has covered 20 cases of politicians from a spectrum of political parties and people in senior government positions who have faced allegations of sexual misconduct. The nature of the misconduct has included demanding sex for jobs or promotions, verbal and physical harassment, sexual assault, and rape - including rape of children. Some of the people covered by the campaign are facing criminal charges while others have faced internal complaints or disciplinary action. All of the cases have been reported on by media.

In February 2015 Mohapi Jihad Mohapi, chair of the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Select Committee in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) was charged with assaulting his former girlfriend. According to a journalist who had access to the photographs, the woman’s injuries included a blue eye and bruising to most of her upper chest region, the upper part of one arm, as well as one thigh. Mohapi handed himself over to the police and was charged with assault, kidnapping and crimen injuria. The fate of the criminal case is unknown.

In August 2017 the former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mduduzi Manana, was captured on camera assaulting three women with the assistance of his friends Thulani Madonka and Cyril Madonsela. This led to his resignation and subsequent conviction of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. In early November Manana was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a R100 000 fine, as well as community service – a sentence which enables him to remain in Parliament. The Constitution stipulates that individuals only become ineligible to stand as public representatives if, in the last five years, they have received a sentence in excess of 12 months without the option of a fine.

Esther Mahlangu-Mathibela was sexually harassed for three years by George Mthimunye, the then-municipal manager of the Dr JS Moroka Municipality in Mpumalanga. In 2001 Mthimunye was finally suspended and charged with sexual harassment and unauthorised or fruitless expenditure. He later settled with the municipality and resigned in 2001, reportedly having received a R5 million settlement. Mthimunye was then appointed the municipal manager of the Naledi municipality in Vryburg – and suspended in 2010 in the course of disciplinary proceedings against him, related to tender irregularities.

On 1 June 2017 Malibongwe Ngcai started his job as general manager of corporate services in the Eastern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), and Basil Mase the general manager of strategic information management, also in COGTA. Both men had resigned their positions as senior managers in the Eastern Cape Legislature only one day before joining COGTA – so evading any sanctions arising from the disciplinary proceedings against them.

On 29 November the Dullah Omar Institute (DOI) bade farewell to six officials from Chilambana Local Government Training Institute, Ministry of Local Government in Zambia.

In March 2017 a 44-year-old government female employee in the labour relations unit of the Sekhukhune District municipal council in Limpopo reportedly had to apply for a protection order against “the institution’s corporate services director.”