Crime statistics reflect ANC’s failure as government and its inability to protect women and children
18 August 2023
The police's quarterly crime statistics, released today, are a good barometer for the ANC's failure as government because corruption is rampant and the economy has been destroyed to such an extent that it creates the perfect breeding ground for crime.
Compared to the same quarter last year, the statistics for April to June 2023 show an alarming increase in murder and violence affecting women and children.
Femicide increased with 4,7%, attempted murder with 20,2% and serious assault with 9,7%.
A comparison to the statistics of a mere three years ago shows that all three these categories of crimes have nearly doubled, which is a clear indication that government's attempts to combat gender-based violence have come to nothing.
In 2021 (April to June), 559 women were murdered compared to this year's 895, attempted murder incidents were 879 compared to this year's 1 417, and the figure for serious assault was 7 585 while this year's is 12 872.
The situation involving children is even worse. Compared to just last year, child murder has risen with 20,6% and attempted murder with 15,3%.
Farm murders also rose sharply with 14 murders this year compared to 10 during the same quarter last year.
The general figures fluctuate and some categories have decreased slightly, such as murder (3,1%), sexual offences (2%), rape (2,8%), carjacking (6,4%) and robberies at businesses (14%).
The decrease in carjackings and robberies at businesses which fall under the three feared trio crimes should be welcomed. The third, robberies at residential premises, however, spiked with 4,9% compared to 2022.
Even though murder and rape decreased slightly, there was a sharp increase in all the other violent crimes. These include attempted murder (7%), serious assault (8,2%) and robbery (7,9%).
Last year, 27 066 people were murdered in South Africa. That equals 2 256 per month or 76 every day. More than three murders take place every hour of the day and night in South Africa.
The overall picture of South Africa under ANC rule shows crime rising over the years to levels where the world is starting to take notice of it for the first time.
It also paints an alarming picture of a violent society where murder and serious assault are at the order of the day.
Millions of people who are unemployed inevitably resort to crime to survive, while institutionalised corruption among ANC cadres has taken root on every level of the country's social construct.
An article in The Washington Post (29 March 2023; “South Africa Is on the Road to Becoming a Failed State”) describes countries from across the world contending with their own problems, while things in South Africa are reportedly going "from bad to dreadful".
"With corruption and theft seeping into every corner of the economy is it any wonder that unemployment in South Africa, especially among the young, is stubbornly dreadful, its growth rate so anaemic and capital so anxious to flee? At last count, the unemployment rate was almost 33%. It will probably get worse ..."
What is described in this article is the disease of an ANC government which has become a "failed state". And the crime statistics are part of the signs and symptoms.
Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 18 August 2023
