Crime stats show that South Africa isn't safe
19 September 2014
The DA is deeply concerned for all South Africans who today face massively increased levels of crime. This comes after the 2013/2014 crime stats released today that violent crimes are on the increase.
It has been revealed today that the murder rate has gone up for the second consecutive year. There were 17 068 murders in 2013/14. This works out to 47 murders a day. This number of deaths is what one would expect to be reported from a country at war.
From today's presentation by the Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko, and National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega, we now have confirmation of what many South Africans have felt in their everyday lives: Crime is getting worse. The crime rate increased in these categories:
Murder is up by 5%;
Attempted murder is up by 4.6%;
Aggravated robbery is up by 12.7%;
Theft out of motor vehicles up by 3%;
Car hijackings is up by 12.3%; and
Truck hijackings is up by 5.1%
In 2012/2013, under Phiyega's leadership, crime increased overall from 2 085 757 to 2 126 537 cases, an actual increase of 40 780 reported crimes. This year, the number of crimes increased by another 5 559 to 2 172 876. So our highly-paid NPC has overseen two consecutive years where crime has soared.
In certain categories there was a reduction in this last year. Most notably, there was a 5.6% reduction in sexual offences and a 6% reduction in rape. This is very welcome news, but the DA will further interrogate these statistics to guarantee their credibility. NGOs tell us that only one in 20 rape victims report a rape because they don't trust the police.
Currently, government and the SAPS are failing in the fight against crime. But we do not need to accept crime as an inescapable reality in South Africa.
If we implement the right policies, we can significantly reduce our crime rate.
The DA has, for many years, proposed that:
The number of operation police officers be increased from 157 000 to 250 000, and that they be much better trained.
All members have the equipment they need to perform their tasks, including vehicles, firearms, bullet-proof vests, equipment for crowd control and ICT equipment.
We removing service members from the system if they abuse their power or participate in corrupt or criminal activities.
A Judicial Commission of Inquiry is established to look into the extent of police corruption, with a particular focus on police involvement in illicit drug dealing.
A Judicial Commission of Inquiry is established to determine the causes of police brutality and to identify long-term solutions to the problem.
Cooperation between private security companies and the police service is improved.
The DA had hoped that the nation could see the successes of the 2010 FIFA Wold Cup year, when mass visible policing saw crime dropping massively, repeated.
Unfortunately we now face a growing crime wave, with 47 people being murdered every day.
With the requisite time, effort, resources, and support from the public, the SAPS can begin to make inroads into stemming the tidal-wave of crime in this country. But this can only begin once we face up to the reality of the challenges that we face.
Crime affects each and every one of us. We must fight crime with all means at our disposal, because the people of South Africa deserve better. They do not need to live under siege in their homes, their cars and their communities.
Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, September 19 2014
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