Durban - Inanda, north of Durban, is still the country’s rape capital, the quarterly police crime statistics released on Friday revealed.
It is the fourth consecutive year that Inanda recorded the most number of rape cases.
The statistics, which cover October 1 2020 to December 31 2020, showed that Inanda recorded 85 rapes in the last quarter compared to 83 in the previous quarter.
Second on the list of stations that recorded the most rapes was Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, which recorded 71 rapes and then Umlazi, which recorded 69.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said there was an overall 5% increase in recorded sexual offences detected as a result of police action.
In total, 12 218 rapes were reported between October and December last year.
According to police, this is an increase of 181 cases, amounting to a 1.5% increase compared to the previous reporting period.
Police said that over 4 900 of the rape incidents took place at the home of the victim or the home of the rapist.
Of the 12 218 rapes recorded, 570 were domestic violence-related, with 547 of the reported cases in this category involving female victims and 23 male.
Following media reports last year of a shortage of rape kits, Cele said this was not the case.
“Allow me to take this opportunity to assure the nation that there is no shortage of evidence collection kits, also known as Rape Kits in all police stations across the country. A three -year contract entered into with a supplier in 2019 to provide these essential kits, is still in place. The availability of the ’rape kits’ at all provinces is confirmed on a weekly basis and replenishment is done as per the stations request.
“So the statement by the EFF calling for my head due to what it terms a shortage of rape kits in 76% of police stations since July 2020, is false and downright misleading. Trying to score cheap political points, using the painful ordeal of thousands of rape victims and survivors, is just disgusting, to say the least,” he said.
The provinces that recoded increases in rape was Gauteng with 111 more cases followed by Limpopo with 109, Western Cape with 106, Mpumalanga 59 and the North West 19.
Of the top 30 stations for rape, 10 of them were in Gauteng.
IOL