Police said the worrying crime trends in the country include murder, rape, hijacking, kidnapping for ransom payments, and extortion.
There has been an increase in the murder and sexual offences rate in the crime stats with four of the nine provinces in the country having recorded increases in murder cases.
This was revealed by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on Friday morning.
The quarterly crime statistics reflects on crimes that occurred during the last quarter of the previous financial year (1 January 2024 – 31 March 2024) as well as the first quarter of this financial year (1st of April 2024 to the 30th of June 2024).
Crime Stats
According to the report, 6 198 people were killed between April and June 2024. This is just over 2 000 people murdered in South Africa per month, which is about 500 people per week.
The report also shows there were 11 566 sexual offences in the country between April and June 2024 with 3 855 per month, which is about 129 incidents per day.
The crime stats also revealed there were 35 098 robbery with aggravating circumstances with an average of 390 every day or 16 per hour.
Increase in crime
Mchunu said crime is generally on the increase.
“The data is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action. We are confronted with a crisis that threatens the safety of our communities and undermines the stability of our nation.
“Contact crimes, in particular, are wreaking havoc and instilling fear. This is unacceptable, and we must confront this challenge with unwavering resolve and strategic precision,” Mchunu said.
Murder
Mchunu said the worrying crime trends in the country include murder, rape, hijacking, kidnapping for ransom payments, and extortion.
“Four of the nine provinces recorded increases in murder cases, with the highest increase recorded in the Western Cape, followed by North West, then the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.”
“If we look at the ratio of murders committed, per capita per province, the Eastern Cape stands at 17.6%, followed by the Western Cape at 15.3 %, then KwaZulu-Natal at 12.3% and lastly Gauteng at 8.3%. It is worth noting that the Limpopo province recorded 3.3% per capita, making it the safest province in as far as murder is concerned.”
Mchunu said carjackings have increased in the Eastern and Western Cape, with sedans, hatchbacks and coupe’s being the most hijacked vehicles.
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