Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
‘Drop in sexual offences not to be celebrated’
DESPITE a 9% decrease in sexual offences, 11 315 people were raped between October and December 2021.
Police Minister Bheki Cele announced the quarterly crime statistics and he revealed a decrease of 903 rape cases, compared to the previous reporting period.
“All nine provinces recorded decreases in rape cases. Over 5 012 of the rape incidents took place at the home of the victim or the home of the rapist.
“A total of 674 rapes were domestic violence-related and 632 of rape cases in this category, involved female victims and 42 were males.”
Cele said the Eastern Cape’s Lusikisiki police station, Umlazi and Inanda station in KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest incidence of rape.
“Statistically it shows a decrease but realistically we know that people that experience sexual assault never report it,” said Siya Monakali from Ilitha Labantu, an organisation fighting for the rights of women and children.
“If they were speaking about the conviction rate increase, then maybe we could celebrate something but now, no.”
Cele said the decrease in some of the sexual offences, especially rape cases, can be attributed to all provinces increasing their GBV awareness campaigns. He also reminisced about his time in Germany more than a decade ago where he says he saw women walking in the middle of the night worry free. He said he wanted that for the country.
“This includes contact meetings with SAPS and communities. The service has also ramped up its communication and sensitisation on GBVF crimes through print, television and radio mediums.”
Phindile George from the Khayelitsha cluster community policing forum said only co-operation between all stakeholders would defeat crime.
“We urges communities to strengthen ties with SAPS, and that SAPS must work really hard to clean up its image on trust between them and communities to ensure that the trust relationship is restored.”
“People must have confidence in SAPS in order for them to be able to work with SAPS, meaning the bad apples and lazy officers who are not making an effort must be worked out of SAPS. More programmes must be forged by civil society to help bring down the murder rate.”
Premier Alan Winde said he wanted to take his Provincial Safety Plan to the next level, and announced a new Violence Prevention Unit would be established in the Western Cape’s Department of Health.
“This unit will use public health data to identify localised strategies to prevent violence before it occurs.”
Winde said: “I would like to thank the SAPS and local law enforcement for their brave work over the last quarter. We know that you put your lives on the line each and every day, and we honour you today. I would also like to thank the SAPS provincial leadership for the good spirit of cooperation which they continue to adopt as critical partners in our fight against crime.”