The second quarter of 2022/23 crime statistics, which Police Minister Bheki Cele issued, showed the appalling status of South Africa’s steadily rising crime rates. In this article, we analyze the most recent statistics.
The South African Police Service reported crimes from July 1 to September 30, according to statistics presented by Police Minister Bheki Cele in November 2022. These crime statistics are compared with those from the same time in 2021 when the nation was on lockdown. The country was under level 4, level 3, and level 2 lockdowns from July to September 2021.
Between July and September of 2022, the SAPS received almost 10,000 new reports of rape. A sample of 8227 rape cases was examined, and it indicated 5 083, or 62%, of the incidents took place in the homes of the victims or offenders. One thousand six hundred fifty-one rape cases occurred in open spaces, including parks, streets, and beaches. At abandoned buildings, 69 people were violated.
The third-most common location for rape incidents was on public transportation, including buses, taxis, trains, and other vehicles. The only province to claim a decline in rape incidence is Mpumalanga.
In South Africa, the rate at which women are mistreated, molested, and occasionally killed is still problematic and unacceptable; many are killed by individuals they know, love, and trust. For murder, the police noted attempted murder and assaulted GBH against women, a double-digit percentage rise in the three months of reporting.
Between July and September 2022, almost 13 000 women were the targets of assaults with the intent to cause significant bodily damage. During the reporting period, 989 women were murdered, and 1 277 were the targets of attempted murder.
The crime numbers demonstrate that we as a community continue to fail to safeguard some of society’s most defenceless members, namely children.
Unbelievably, from April to the end of September 2022, 558 children were murdered in South Africa. Between July and September 2022, police are looking into 294 children victims of attempted murder. During the time frame of this report, the police were notified of 1 895 assault GBH instances with minors as the victims. On this basis, the SAPS will keep giving offences related to gender-based violence (GBV) top priority.
The FCS Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences unit detained 4,375 criminals who had committed crimes against women and children between July and September this year. 410 rapists were tracked down by police and imprisoned throughout the reporting period. Sixty-eight of them have received life sentences in prison.
Eighty-three rapes occurred in educational settings throughout the reporting period, including primary schools and academic institutions. It is important to remember that educational facilities refer to the crime site and should not be understood as all offenders and/or victims were students or pupils.
In South Africa, 7 004 individuals were killed by others during the second quarter of the fiscal year 2022/2023. Compared to the same period in 2021, when the nation was under COVID-19 Lockdowns 4, 3, and 2, this increased by 841 more murders. Disputes, episodes of road rage, and provocations caused 956 murders nationwide.
The highest murder rates were recorded at the Inanda, uMlazi, and Nyanga police stations in KwaZulu-Natal and the Nyanga station in the Western Cape during this time. In all, 274 murder counts were reported in those three regions. 528 people lost their lives due to vigilantism, whereas 362 people were murdered while committing robberies.
In South Africa, in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2022/2023, 7 004 persons were killed by other people. This represents an increase of 841 more murders compared to the same period in 2021 when the country was under COVID-19 lockdowns 4, 3, and 2. In the country, disagreements, incidents of road rage, and provocations resulted in 956 killings.
Instances of vigilantism claimed the lives of 528 individuals, whilst robberies claimed the lives of 362 people. During this time, the Inanda, uMlazi, and Nyanga police stations in KwaZulu-Natal and the Nyanga station in the Western Cape reported the highest murder rates. There were 274 murders reported in all across those three areas.
The expense of battling crime has also been felt by SAPS personnel nationwide. Between July and September 2022, 22 police officers were killed, two fewer than during the same reporting period in 2017. In most reported homicides, firearms were still used to kill 2 808 victims. Guns were used in 961 of the reported homicides in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by 768 in Gauteng. In the Western Cape, 526 individuals died from gunshot wounds.
According to crime statistics, aggression and violence in South Africa are at alarmingly high levels. It is shocking how often violence is committed against women and children in homes, on our streets, and even inside places where people feel protected, like churches and schools.
In the five years between July and September, there were more assault cases recorded by the police than ever before. In the three months before reporting, the SAPS nationwide looked into 85 640 assault, GBH, and common assault cases. The leading causes of GBH assaults continue to be disputes, road rage, provocations, misunderstandings, vengeance, revenge, and punishment.
12 203 assault GBH cases occurred in private residences, either those of the victim or the offender. Public spaces like a roadway, open field, leisure area, or abandoned structure were the second most common locations for GBH assaults. Domestic violence was a factor in 6 662 GBH assault instances, meaning the offender and victim were involved in a domestic setting.
Crimes falling under the subcategory of severe robbery have increased. The bulk of carjacking and robbery cases at residential and non-residential locations were reported to the police in July 2022. While carjackings decreased in the Free State and Limpopo, a 24% increase was seen overall.
Over 4000 counts of kidnappings were reported to the police between July and September 2022, a national double-digit increase in crime. The top three reasons for kidnappings reported nationwide from July through September were carjacking, robbery, and rape. In some kidnapping instances, the SAPS, particularly in the Western Cape, has made progress, allowing victims to reunite securely with their families.
Specialised intervention in provinces, even down to the station level, must be strengthened to cope with carjacking, abduction cases, and other crimes in the Trio Crimes category. To limit the potential for criminals, policing actions should continue to be prioritised in regions designated as hot spots.
