SA crime stats are scary – Cele
‘SHOCKING’: THREE CONTACT CRIMES HAVE INCREASED
Minister admits police have ‘dropped the ball’; promises changes in 2018-19.
The South African Police Service (Saps) has vowed to put its head on a block to curb the “shocking” increase in serious crimes, particularly murder, as they have “dropped the ball”, said Police Minister Bheki Cele yesterday.
After presenting the 2017-18 crime statistics before the police portfolio committee in parliament yesterday, Cele expressed shame, shock and disgust at the rate of crime in South Africa in the 12 months period, stating the figures were “scary”.
Between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018, three contact crimes – murder, sexual offence, and attempted murder – have increased. And Cele admits the police have dropped the ball.
“We declare that we’ve dropped the ball, but what is important is how do we collectively pick up the ball, change the gameplan and reposition the Saps to be a winning team,” he said.
“The worst thing we can do, which cannot be done in my tenure, is to come and give the same crime statistics again next year.
“South Africans shouldn’t live in fear as a norm, or take it as a norm that 57 people die everyday through guns and knives. It can’t be normal that children as young as two years disappear, get killed and buried,” he added.
According to the statistics, 20 336 murder cases were reported, showing a 6.9% increase – a spike of 1 320 murder reports compared to the previous year. Of the murders, 85 were of police officers while 62 were farm murders.
Sexual offences, which include rape, sexual assault, attempted sexual offence, and contact sexual offence, have also increased by 0.9%, with Gauteng taking the lead. Of the 40 035 rape cases reported in SA, Gauteng comes top again, with 8 062. The province recorded 362 more rape cases compared to the previous year.
The worst police station when it came to reporting sexual offences was Sunnyside in Pretoria.
Despite an increase in carjacking, house and business robberies, contact crimes showed a 1.9% dip in the 2017-18 year. – rorisangk@citizen.co.za