Police Minister Bheki Cele unveiled South Africa’s crime statistics for April to June 2023, showing that there were 6,228 murders over the quarter.
Despite higher number of violent crimes, including attempted murder and assault, Cele claimed that the police are turning the tide on crime.
Action Society Spokesperson Ian Cameron is not convinced. Cameron said that 6,228 murders over three months mean an average of 68 murders a day.
Cameron said the murder rate is the most accurate crime statistic in South Africa because it is typically reported. Other crimes are often under-reported.
He added that, over the last three months, more people were murdered in South Africa than were killed in war-torn Ukraine.
‘Over the reporting period, 1,574 people were killed in the Ukraine war. In South Africa, 6,228 people were murdered.
‘Over the past five years, 125,000 people have been killed in the country. We are seeing 75 people murdered per day.’
Cameron said that only 14.5% of murders are solved.
He said more police officers on the ground would help with some crime prevention, but it does not help with all aspects of crime.
Cameron proposed a joint effort between the Department of Social Development, the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, and the police.
‘If we don’t have an integrated effort to fight crime, we are wasting our time. There are too many factors contributing to violent crime for only the police the handle’, Cameron said.
[Photo: Tom Def for Unsplash]