No justice for victims as 165 000 criminal dockets closed and abandoned in Eastern Cape since 2018
14 August 2024
Every day, criminals assault communities across South Africa, ignoring the law and no longer fearing law enforcement. Their actions leave innocent citizens terrorized and traumatized in their homes, streets, schools, and workplaces.
This boldness stems from the fact that our Police Service is so under-resourced, underfunded, and undertrained that there's little chance of criminals being apprehended.
As a result, communities have become crime hotspots and ganglands, drug dealers target young children outside their schools, and the country suffers from the highest rape statistics in the world and a murder rate that rivals countries at war. The people are not receiving the protection they need.
Here in Motherwell, gun violence is on the rise as criminals continue to terrorise communities.
In April, the Chair of the Alex Matikinca Business Leadership, Mthetheli Jola, was murdered in an alleged hit here in Motherwell.
In May, a local SAPS Lieutenant Colonel and his wife were shot outside their home here in Motherwell.
In June, a young woman named Nelly Xeke was murdered on the night of her birthday here in Motherwell.
In July, a triple murder of the three Coka brothers happened here in Motherwell.
We are joined by members of this community who are victims of such heinous acts. It is time for justice for these victims and the countless others
Victims open cases yet nothing happens. The criminal justice system is losing the fight to apprehend, charge and jail offenders
In the Eastern Cape alone, since the beginning of 2018, 164 919 dockets have been closed, in effect ending any investigation into those charges.
These include: Murder (8593); Attempted murder (3427); Assault GBH (10703); Aggravated robbery (18 499); Residential robbery (6124); Rape (8123); Sexual assault (504); Carjacking (5857); Non-residential burglary (26 619); Residential burglary (74 923); and Kidnapping (485).
It is for this reason that citizens don’t trust the police and the criminal justice system. Three quarters of South Africans do not trust the police, according to the most recent data provided by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). As of 2021, just 27% of citizens stated they trusted the police, down from 47% two decades before.
To tackle this, a multi-faceted plan that combines long-term strategies with immediate interventions is required. The focus is on professionalizing the South African Police Service (SAPS), decentralizing law enforcement, and revitalizing the criminal justice system.
To rebuild trust through accountability, improved leadership, and the removal of corrupt members, the following must be implemented:
Expand SAPS capacity at the station level by recruiting and training 120,000 new officers.
Ensure adequate funding and resources for effective response and prevention actions – including doubling the budget of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to R10 billion.
Establish smaller regional and municipal police forces with a focus on community trust and collaboration.
Forge partnerships with private laboratories for forensic support and creating a national electronic forensic database.
Mandate the digitalization of all dockets for transparency and accessibility.
-Establish a National Criminal Investigation Directorate to pursue and prosecute the top 100 most violent criminals.
Our commitment is not just about numbers and statistics, it's about building a South Africa where every citizen feels safe and satisfied with the criminal justice system.
Issued by Roger Solomons, BOSA Acting Spokesperson, 14 August 2024
