Cape Town - The South African Police Service is on Thursday briefing the Portfolio Committee on Police (PCOP) on the 2018/19 annual crime statistics in Parliament.
Police Minister General Bheki Cele is expected to address the nation on crime for the period between 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.
Cele will be joined by Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, SAPS National Commissioner General Khehla John Sitole and senior management of the SAPS.
The country is expected to hear statistics of crimes such as murder, sexual offences, attempted murder, assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, common assault, common robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Murder statistics for Western Cape will be significantly higher than the rest of South Africa, as violent gang violence continues in Cape Town.
According to the statistics released last year, 20 336 people were murdered in South Africa, and the Western Cape had the dubious distinction of being home to seven of the 10 police stations with the highest rate of reported murders.
Director of the safety and violence initiative at UCT Guy Lamb said even with initiatives such as the Anti-Gang Unit and Operation Lock-Down, “there is going to be no impact in the crime statistics”.
He said there needed to be a better relationship between the police and communities, and more needed to be done.