ANC statement on the release of the 2015/2016 crime statistics
2 September 2016
The African National Congress (ANC) welcomes the timely release of the 2015/2016 crime statistics by Minister of Police, Comrade Nkosinathi Nhleko to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security today. Together with all South Africans, we welcome the announcement that there has been a general decrease in incidents of crime.
We are particularly pleased that during 2015/2016 the numbers of sex crimes, including sexual assault and rape, have decreased. This is a welcome trend that the ANC hopes will continue.
Whilst the ANC welcomes progress made by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in bringing down levels of certain types of crime – the increase in contact crimes is worrying. The most serious of contact crimes, murder, has increased by over 3 per cent – with the Eastern Cape and Western Cape recording the highest numbers of murders during the year under review.
We appreciate the candor and frankness with which the SAPS have highlighted the challenges faced by law-enforcement in bringing down crime, which is fundamentally tied to strengthening the social fabric in our communities. The ANC further concurs with the sentiment expressed by Cde. Nhleko in Parliament that fighting crime is everyone’s responsibility, and not just that of the SAPS. Clearly, together there is much more we still need to be do to realize our common objective of safer communities, safer cities and a safer country.
To ensure that all people in South Africa are and feel safe, radical and drastic measures are required to bring down these unacceptably high levels of crime. Government must act urgently on the remedial action outlined in Parliament today to deal with the defects in the law-enforcaement system that are allowing criminals to go unpunished. It is only through collaboration and cooperation between the different arms of law-enforcement that we will be able to bring down crime levels; and stability within the Security Cluster is essential if the coordinated cluster-based approach to fighting crime is to yield success required.
Issued by Zizi Kodwa , National Spokesperson, ANC, 2 September 2016
