REPORTBACK CRIME OVERVIEW
An overview of South Africa’s latest National Police Crime Statistics Certain categories of violent crime in South Africa showed an alarming increase in the last quarter of 2020, according to Police Minister General Bheki Cele.
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n his speech ahead of the release of the country’s crime statistics for the period October to December 20201 on 19 February 2021, Cele noted that cash-in-transit (CIT) heists had increased by 66,7%, while the murder rate shot up by 6.6%, trio crimes (carjacking, house robbery, business robbery) by 7%, and rape by 5%. There was some good news in that property-related crimes decreased by 15.8%, stock theft by 6.9%, the theft of vehicles and motorcycles by more than 20% and burglary at residential and non-residential premises “had declined drastically”. Murder The 6.6% increase in the murder rate translated to 389 more people killed compared to the corresponding period in the previous financial year. Mpumalanga province recorded the highest increase of 13,7% while Limpopo, North West and
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Northern Cape provinces recorded a decline. The top four causative factors were arguments, home and business robberies, mob justice incidents and gang-related killings. Further, he noted, 2 481 people were murdered in public places such as streets, open fields, parking areas and abandoned buildings. “The second most likely place for murder to occur is at the home of the victim or of the perpetrator,” he continued, adding that liquor outlets were the third most likely place to be killed at in South Africa. Rape and gender-based violence The 5% increase in rape translated to 12 218 victims, he said, with more than 4 900 incidents occurring at either the home of the victim or the home of the rapist. Inanda, Umlazi in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape’s Lusikisiki police stations recorded the highest incidents of rape. Regarding GBV, Cele said that 129
SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2021
perpetrators had been given life sentences during the three months of reporting. Farm attacks Nineteen people were killed on farms and smallholdings during the last quarter of 2020. Assault “Assault figures show that violence stalks our society and, in many cases, the violence is aggravated by alcohol abuse,” Cele said, noting that 50 124 cases of assault were opened with the police during the three months of reporting. Trio crimes The “crimes feared most by South Africans” increased, he said, with 77 more residential robberies in the period of October to December 2020 than during the same period in the previous year. However, there was some relief for business owners: 374 less businesses were
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