The National Crime Statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2020/2021 financial year make for bleak reading and have forced the SAPS to dig deep and put their shoulder to the wheel, Police Minister Bheki said yesterday.
Cele was announcing the crime statistics from October 1 to December 21, which indicated in the three month period there was a 6.6% increase in murders: 389 more people were killed compared with the similar period of the 2019/2020 financial year.
Murder and rape cases had climbed, and Cele said the townships of Inanda and uMlazi in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape’s Lusikisiki police stations recorded the highest incidents of rape.
“Mpumalanga recorded the highest increase (in murders) of 13.7%. Limpopo, North West and the Northern Cape recorded a decline in murder cases; 193 of the murders were as a result of domestic violence,” Cele said.
He said the top four causes were arguments, robberies at a household and businesses, mob justice and gang-related killings, with 2 481 people murdered in public places.
“A total of 1 643 murders occurred at the home of the victim or of the perpetrator, while liquor outlets were the third most likely place to be killed. Overall, contact crimes committed against a person decreased by 1.4%.”
A 5% increase has been recorded for sexual offences. More than 4 900 of rapes took place at the victim’s or rapist’s home, while 570 were domestic violence-related; 547 of rape cases in this category involved female victims, and 23, males.
“Gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide remain a priority crime for the SAPS. We are on a daily basis improving our services and responses, at station level.
“As the SAPS we are motivated that numerous life sentences have been handed down for crimes committed against women and children. In the three months of reporting, the FCS (Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units) secured 129 life sentences. I really hope these jail terms also reassure victims of GBV of our efforts as law enforcement to bring them justice,” Cele.
He said that assault figures showed that “violence stalks our society” and in many cases the violence is aggravated by alcohol abuse.
The Independent on Saturday