Stats show: Riah must go

JUDGING from the country’s latest crime statistics released yesterday (Tuesday), national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega need not give President Jacob Zuma any reasons as to why she should not be suspended pending the final determination of her fitness to hold office.

President Zuma announced an inquiry to investigate Phiyega’s leadership, decisions and actions during the violence in Marikana in August 2012.

However, the latest numbers relating to crime are reason enough to justify a change in leadership in the South African Police Service. A team is only as good as its leader. And under Phiyega, crime is on a deadly increase. Regrettably the lack of decisive leadership in the SAPS has caused public confidence in the police force to plummet. Police officers lack morale, the crime barometer continues to rise and criminals exploit the challenges that plague the police service.

It is well known that crime in South Africa is mounting due to inefficient visible policing‚ SAPS resource shortages and a generally inadequate response to gang and drug-related crimes.

According to the latest data, the country is steadily losing this battle with villainy. South Africans are living in fear, like prisoners in their own homes, at work and places of leisure.

The national crime statistics for 2014/2015 indicate that criminals own our streets and the culture of violence continues unabated. Priority crimes such as murder and armed robbery continue to spiral.

Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko says violence remains a feature of our social outlook.

Gareth Newham, head of the Governance, Crime and Justice Division at the Institute of Security Studies, believes the police service has no clear crime-fighting strategy.

The statistics show that murder in South Africa has increased by 4.6%. This, according to Newham, translates into four more murders each day and 50 more armed attacks such as robbery, hijacking and assault.

Hijacking is up by 14.2% and house robbery by 5.2%. Robbery with aggravating circumstances has also increased significantly by 8.5%. According to Newham this is not just a spike; this is a massive upsurge.

Head of Crime Line Yusuf Abramjee could not have summed it up better than in his open letter to President Jacob Zuma: “Drastic times need drastic actions. Citizens are fed up with crime. Statistics mean little for those who have lost loved ones.”