THE national crime stats released by police minister Bheki Cele to Parliament on Friday make for grim reading, with KwaZulu-Natal, the epicentre of July’s riots, contributing the bulk of the country’s staggering increases.
The province not only produced the highest number of murders, attempted murders and arson attacks, but it also registered the highest percentage increase in the number of rapes.
Of the staggering 20.7% hike in the number of murders nationally, the vast bulk came from the province. A total of 1 744 people were killed in KZN compared with a national total of 6 163. In KZN this represented a 44% increase, with 536 extra murders over the same period last year, more than half the national increase of 1056.
Gauteng, which is more populous, recorded 1320 murders, an increase of 229 or 21%, while all other provinces recorded an increase except the Western Cape.
Inanda was the worst affected precinct for murders nationally, while Umlazi, at number 2 saw a staggering 147% increase. KwaMashu, at No 8, showed a 205% increase with 55 deaths, Verulam a 230% increase with 43 and Phoenix 225% with 39 people killed.
KZN also had the most number of attempted murders cases, with 1 488, up 328 or 28,3%. This was more than the national increase in this category of crime of 216 cases. Again Gauteng registered 1 228 cases, up 48.
Umlazi was the worst affected precinct nationally followed by Phoenix with 84 cases. All the province’s hotspots showed increases in murder cases over the looting period, although only 84 of the cases were officially related to the unrest.
Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm saw a more modest increase of 5.4% for the province, with 6 030 cases, up by 308. This is behind Gauteng with 8 459, but again the province produced the vast bulk of the national increase of 735 cases.
Common assault was up by 182 cases or 3.5% to 5 346 still, some way behind Gauteng with 10 536 cases. However Gauteng saw a reduction in the category of crime, while KZN’s increase was more than half the national increase of 286 cases.
KZN saw the highest percentage increase in the number of rapes over the July to September period, with 1 860 rapes, up by 235 or 14.5%, more than a third of the national increase of 634 rapes.
Gauteng recorded 2 054 rapes, an increase of 161 or 8.5%. When it comes to all sexual offences, the province recorded 2 238 cases, an increase of 209 or 10.3%, above the national average of 4.7%. Here Gauteng recorded a 7.4% increase with 2 649.
The province also saw a 28% increase in the number of kidnappings with 407 cases, an increase of 90 and in line with the national average. It was Gauteng's 796 cases, an increase of 69%, that really spiked this category of crime.
After the riots, naturally the crimes of arson and malicious damage to property spiked in the province.
KZN saw a massive 486 cases of arson, more than a third of the national total, with 299 more cases than last year or an increase of 159,9%. The top 15 stations affected nationally are all in KZN, with Greenwood Park recording 39, Verulam 37, Isipingo 28, Pinetown 19 and Newlands East 15.
Malicious damage to property saw a total of 4 778 cases or an extra 1 416 on the previous period, or a 42,1% increase. Gauteng registered 6 780 cases, an increase of 8.1%. Phoenix was the worst affected policing precinct nationally with 236 cases, while Montclair with 216 was third, at 1700% increase. Verulam and KwaDukuza both saw massive increases.
Business burglary increased as well with 6 363 cases, an increase of 3 891 or 157.4%. With the exception of Alexandra in Gauteng the worst affected precincts nationwide are all in KZN.
Ironically the one category of crime that reduced substantially in KZN over the period was shoplifting – by 30.7%.
The Independent on Saturday