It’s a crime SA has become a lawless country
VIOLENT crime increased again between October and December 2022 compared to the same period the previous year, according to crime statistics the SAPS issued last week.
This brings the total to three quarters where violent crime was high, while General Fannie Masemola has been at the helm of the SAPS.
There were 7 555 murders, an increase of 696. Sexual offences increased by 1 357 to 15 545. There were 7016 attempted murders, an increase of 1357. Assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm increased by 4 069 to 52 741 and common assault by 5660 to 52741. There were 12752 common robberies, an increase of 2 228, and 32 aggravated robberies, an increase of 3686.
These were crimes where South Africans came face to face with criminals and were left with emotional and physical scars.
On February 9, during the State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement of support to the SAPS to fight crime by increasing the budget of the department.
The Independent Police Union of South Africa (Ipusa) has asked the president to put on hold any plan to put extra cash into the SAPS budget until we find out why the
SAPS is not performing.
The release of the crime statistics has made us reiterate our call to the government not to give more money to this department until we diagnose the root causes of the poor performance. In the meantime, General Masemola must optimally use the resources he has at his disposal to service South Africans.
The president must kick-start the process to reform the SAPS as soon as possible in order to address the problems first identified by the National Planning Commission in 2012, that the SAPS top leadership is in crisis.
The NPC said ever since the crisis was identified, many functions of the SAPS had deteriorated. Since then, too, serious violent and organised crimes have and
continue to escalate. Gender-based violence and femicide are now among the top crimes.
South Africa is ranked 137 out of 142 countries in the world, with Liberia, Gabon, Afghanistan and Venezuela at the bottom, according to Gallup’s Law and Order Index 2019. South Africa is at the bottom because the policing department is failing.
The president also spoke about the introduction of specialised units to deal with specific crimes. The units would need human resources, vehicles and building infrastructure which we have a shortage of. To accommodate them, the current service would need to be restructured and built upon to house them.
“We also need a foundation of community trust to be established so that they can ensure that the government plans about policing are protected and realised,” Professor Lourie Robinson, of George Manson University, had said.
South Africans are afraid to take part in community police forums because of the high level of crime, with criminals targeting community structures in their areas.
The president’s dream of encouraging community involvement is in trouble if the SAPS remains in the same compromising position. The SAPS must have integrity in the eyes of citizens.
Another problem is the SAPS members who are not happy to serve under the circumstances. They receive little support from their commanders who are also under constant attacks from desperate communities who need them to deliver services. The members are demotivated by the absence of a promotion policy and promotions that are not based on merit.
An honourable member of Parliament spoke passionately about junior police officers’ plights, which included their safety and salaries, during the Sona debate recently. Worse too is their hanging restructuring process, which does not guarantee them a future with the SAPS.
Until we address this ill, the SAPS will not be able to deal with crime. We call on the president to kick-start police reform, however tedious and slow the process might be. It would be good for the well-being of all South Africans.
The fourth quarter crime statistics are inevitable, and we don’t expect them to be better than this quarter. But what will be encouraging will be the bold step the president will take in restructuring the SAPS.