Johannesburg - Murder has increased by 5 percent in the past year, national police commissioner Riah Phiyega said on Friday.
“We are very concerned about that,” she told reporters, announcing crime statistics for the 2013/2014 financial year.
“We are saying murder requires also that society works very closely with us to assist us to achieve a reduction.”
Attempted murder went up by 4.6 percent and aggravated robbery was up by 12.7 percent.
Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm increased by 1.5 percent.
Common assault was down by 3.3 percent and sexual offences decreased by 5.6 percent, with rape and sexual assault dropping.
"We are not going to rest. We will continue putting effort into these areas," Phiyega said.
Rape showed a 6.3 percent decrease.
"The Eastern Cape did not fare so well," Phiyega said.
Sexual assault showed a 4.9 percent decrease.
"The Eastern Cape is experiencing some challenges in terms of sexual assault (of) old people," she said.
Earlier Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko lamented the higher levels of violence in society.
“If you look at the five- or 10-year trends combined with the year under review, contact crime is a permanent feature,” he said.
Crimes including murder and attempted murder were increasing, Nhleko said in introductory remarks at the release of this year's crime statistics.
Nhleko said in the past five years there had been an increase in social unrest.
“It also suggests that there has to be a broader solution found,” he said.
“We observe there are higher levels of violence in our society.”
Nhleko said cultural violence and aggression should be eradicated.
Alcohol abuse is still a problem in the country.
“The prevalence of drugs and alcohol abuse in our community is extremely concerning,” he said.
“They tend to a production point for criminal activity.”
In the year under review, there was a decrease in various crimes including commercial crime, stock theft, sexual offences, shoplifting, theft of motor vehicles and motor cycles, and arson.
Sexual crimes against women and children remain an area of concern, he said.
“The decrease doesn't mean that there are no incidences… they do exist,” he said.
He said in the year under review, the police confiscated large quantities of drugs.
He said the figures they would release were raw figures that have been audited by the Auditor-General.
The police would work with the auditor-general and Statistics SA to ensure better statistics going forward, he said.
The police will focus on four pillars - strengthening the criminal justice system, professional ideation of the police, demilitarisation and building safety using an integrated approach. - Sapa