Acting police Minister Firoz Cachalia says despite a decrease in a number of crime categories, however, the levels of violence and criminality in South Africa are still unacceptably high.
He says there’s been 58 murders per day during the fourth quarter, that is January to March this year.
Cachalia says while Gauteng, the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal all recorded notable decreases in murders, these four provinces recorded over 80% of all murders in South Africa.
“During this period there were 8.2 murders per 100 000 nationally. The Eastern Cape represents the highest risk with 14.3 murders per 100 000 people, followed by the Western Cape with 12.8 murders per 100 000 and then KZN with 8.8. So, what does that mean? It actually means that if you live in these provinces, you have a high risk of being murdered.”
Video| SA Police release fourth quarter crime statistics:
Meanwhile, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party MP and Portfolio Committee on Police member says unless government addresses the issue of unemployment, crime levels in the country will not decrease.
David Skosana was reacting to the recently released crime stats for the fourth quarter covering the period from January to March this year.
While there has been a decrease in the number of crime categories, the levels of violence and criminality remain high.
Skosana says increasing employment opportunities will lead to a reduction in crime levels.
“The concern is that we need our citizens to be safe. That’s priority number one; we have to be safe and make sure that all the efforts which are being strategised by the SAPS to make sure that the society lives in peace. But that alone, you need social cohesion. You don’t need only police to police human beings, you need to balance this in government. This Government of National Unity (GNU) has to do something about unemployment. Because if you want to make sure that we are safe in this country, you need people to be employed.”
Video| Mixed reactions to Q4 crime statistics:
