Candice Soobramoney
Durban - MORE South Africans are being murdered in KwaZulu-Natal than any other province.
According to the national and provincial crime statistics, the number of murders in the country increased by 303 to 21 325 and rape increased by 706 to 42 289.
The statistics covered the period from April last year to March this year and were presented by Minister of Police Bheki Cele on Friday.
In KZN, murder was up by 464 to 4 859. It means that, on average, over 13 people were killed every day during the reporting period.
The murder cases in Gauteng were up by 60 to 4 555. There was one more case of murder in the Western Cape compared with 3 974 in the last reporting period.
In terms of rape, Gauteng ranks first with 8509 (up by 92) and KZN is second at 8017 (up by 350). The Western Cape follows with 4 877 (up by 228 cases).
The attempted murder rate in KZN is 4 161 (down by 42) and malicious damage to property is 13 358 (down by 346).
Among the other crimes that have decreased are theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles at 8 030 (down by 20), commercial crime at 14 343 (down 556) and drug-related crime at 25 990 (down by 9 368).
Nationally, the number of police killed is 73 (down by 4). The figure in KZN is unchanged at 18. While the number is static, the province has still recorded the highest number of police deaths in the country. Seven police officers died on duty and 11 off duty.
According to the national statistics, most of the police who were killed while off duty were found dead with no witnesses (19 members).
In the category murder on farms and smallholdings, the national statistics showed an increase of two deaths from 47 to 49.
Most of the farm deaths for 2019/2020 were recorded in the Eastern Cape and the Free State. In KZN, the deaths were five (down by 11).
The statistics showed that alcohol also played a role in 8.4% of violent crime in the country. Of the collective 372 174 murders, attempted murders and assaults, the perpetrators in 31 322 of the cases were confirmed to be under the influence of alcohol.
For murder, the perpetrators in 1 430 out of the 21 325 cases were influenced by alcohol; for attempted murder, it was 1 294 out of 18635 cases; for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, 19 843 out of 166 720 cases; and for common assault, 8 755 out of 165 494 cases.
The statistics showed that liquor outlets, including shebeens, taverns, pubs, nightclubs and bottle stores, were hot spots where violent crimes occurred.
Residences and public places like open areas, parks, streets, beaches and abandoned buildings were also hubs for violent crime.
At liquor outlets, there were 844 murders, 838 attempted murders, 11128 assaults with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and 6 298 common assaults.
Nhlakanipho Ntombela, the ANC KZN provincial spokesperson, said the figures were a cause for concern, especially for KZN.
“This does not paint a good picture of the province. Therefore, as the governing party, we cannot just sit back and do nothing. We need to get those who are responsible to come and account.”
Ntombela said the crime statistics would form part of the discussions during the ANC provincial working committee meeting, where they would voice their concerns and make recommendations.
“Most police stations are not adequately resourced and equipped to deal with crime cases, especially in the townships.
“The work ethic of some officials is not up to standard and there also need to be more police deployed to fight crime.”
He said the committee would then request an urgent meeting with the minister of police to find out what his turnaround solution was.
John Steenhuisen, the interim leader of the DA, blamed the president for the hike in crime.
“Once again we have a president who cannot keep his word. He promised the people that he would do something about crime in the country but here we stand.
“Rape has increased, murder has increased and it is time for the president to step up to the plate.
“We live in (one of) the most violent countries in the world and if we do not get our police system in order, we, unfortunately, will not see it get better.”
Narend Singh, the IFP chief whip, questioned the authenticity and accuracy of the crime statistics, saying he believed they was higher than reported.
He said the statistics showed that criminals were taking advantage of the vulnerable during the pandemic.
“There is limited movement of people and criminals are taking advantage of this, especially the elderly. They are being murdered in their homes because they are alone during this time and their children are unable to visit or check up on them.”
Singh also believed that the restriction on neighbourhood watches during the pandemic contributed to the high rate of crime, but primarily blamed the police for not doing enough.
“There is something wrong with the police system. It does not seem to be working. There is no evident plan in place during the current pandemic. They should be doing more during this time.”
Zandile Majozi, the IFP spokesperson on police, said the increase in crimes and violence perpetrated against women and children was shocking, considering that many promises were made by the SAPS.
“This includes ensuring that police stations are equipped and that SAPS officers are trained to deal with cases of rape, sexual assault and grievous bodily harm.”
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