Police Minister Bheki Cele released the crime statistics for the 1st Quarter of this financial year 2021/2022 (April to June), at a media briefing on Friday, 20 August. Cele said the various crime categories reflected a double digit increase and contact crimes such as murder, attempted murder and sexual offences has increased significantly.
“The Crime Statistics of the 1st Quarter of 2021/2022 financial year are dismal, if not understood within context that the lockdown levels introduced an irregular variation to the crime trends. This however does not get us off the hook. While the double-digit increases do not necessarily reflect a true picture because they are being compared to an abnormal period when the country was at a standstill. It still means more work must be done to ensure the safety of all those who live within our borders.” said Cele.
“The crime holiday is long gone and these figures should action us and strengthen us in our resolve. The figures – as distorted as they are – must also sharpen the South African Police Service (SAPS) operational responses to make South Africa safe for all those who live in it,” he added.
Cele explained that the different crime categories reflect a 60, 6% increase in contact crimes such as murder, attempted murder, sexual offences and all categories of assault when compared to the same period last year. There were 5760 murders during the first quarter of the year – an increase of 66,2% and a 74,1% increase in sexual crimes. The minister revealed a 72,4% increase in reported rape cases with 10 006 victims reporting, a 92% increase in trio crimes like house robberies, business robberies and hijackings and a 35% increase in other serious crimes like commercial crime, shoplifting and theft.
Between April 2021 to end of June 2021, 5 760 people were killed in South Africa. This is 2 294 more people killed compared to the corresponding period in the previous financial year. From a sample of 4 467 cases it was determined that a total of 2 531 people were murdered in public places like on the street, open field, parking areas and abandoned buildings. 1 385 murders occurred at the home of the victim or of the perpetrator. 206 of the murders occurred at liquor outlets and are the fourth most likely place to be killed in South Africa.
The top four causative factors of these murders are arguments, robberies, mob justice incidents and gang-related killings.
The Inanda police station in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Delft in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape’s Lusikisiki police stations recorded the highest incidents of rape. 10 006 people were raped between April and June 2021. A sample of 5 439 rape cases revealed that 3 766 of the rape incidents took place at the home of the victim or the home of the rapist. 487 rape cases were domestic violence related.
181 attacks on farms and small-holdings occurred between April and the end of June 2021. 119 of the incidents were robbery related, resulting in 15 murders. 76 936 cases of common assault and assault GBH were opened with the police in the three months of reporting. Over 15 thousand of the cases were Domestic Violence related, meaning the victim and perpetrator have a relationship. The top three areas of occurrence of these assaults are at the home of the victim or perpetrator, public places and liquor outlets. Arguments are the leading causes of the assaults.
Aggravated robberies such as Carjacking increased by 92.2% compared to the previous corresponding period. There were 1 340 more residential robberies in the month of April to June 2020, compared to the corresponding period in the previous financial year. Compared to 2019/2020 financial year, there are 132 more cases recorded. 46 Cash-in-Transit heists were committed between April and June this year, with 27 more CITs heists compared to the previous reporting period.
“It is clear that the thugs involved in CITs will stop at nothing to get what they want, including killing police officers and putting the lives of innocent people at risk. With that said, police are pushing back on this crime trend. Using intelligence and combination of shared resources, police continue to intercept and are taking down these highly organised gangs, “ said Cele.
