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Eastern Cape confirmed as the murder capital of the country

By

Dear Editor

The DA in the Eastern Cape is deeply concerned that residents of our Province face the highest chance of violent murder, of all provinces in the country. The latest crime statistics, released today for the second quarter of 2024/25 (July – September 2024), tragically confirm that the Eastern Cape is the murder capital of South Africa.

The bloodbath experienced in the province paints a horrifying picture for the people of the Eastern Cape.

A total of 1,315 murders were reported during the period under review, with the province recording the highest prevalence of murder in the country, at 19.8% per 100,000 people. Seven Eastern Cape police stations are among the top 30 stations for murder in the country.

There were 1,843 sexual offenses during the three months under review. The Eastern Cape recorded the second-highest prevalence of rape in the country, with 22.7% per 100,000 people affected.

The situation remains untenable, with mass killings and mass rapes being perpetrated without fear of the criminal justice system.

Last month, five members of a single family were gunned down in a mass shooting in Bityi near Mthatha. In October, in the town of Mqhekezweni, regional chieftainess Nogcinile Mtirara of the AbaThembu royal family was executed in cold blood, and five Grade 12 students from Jongintaba Senior Secondary School were sexually assaulted in their own residence. In September, 18 lives were lost in two mass shootings in Ngobozana Village, Lusikisiki.

In August, I wrote to the chairperson of the Community Safety Portfolio Committee, Tumeka Gaya, imploring her to summon the Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene, to account for the province’s crime statistics. I never received a response.

I will again write to the chairperson to urge her to summon the provincial commissioner to account.

The sixth-term handover report identified the need for the provincial commissioner to present the crime statistics to the committee, and I will again ask the chairperson to ensure that this is implemented.

The latest statistics reveal a crime crisis in the province, stressing the urgent need for intervention.

To address this crisis, immediate and decisive action is required. We again call on law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts in combating violent crime.

On a national level the DA continues to call for:

  • Devolved Policing Community Engagement.
  • Enhanced Intelligence and Forensic Capabilities.
  • Focus on Prevention.
  • Accountability in Policing.
  • Strengthen Port and Border Security.

The DA will continue to fight for additional resources to be made available to our police services in the province and for critical interventions that have been promised to materialise.

Regards

Yusuf Cassim MPL
Shadow MEC for Community Safety

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