Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa says South Africa’s overall crime rate continues to decline against the country’s growing population.
Releasing the National Crime Statistics on Thursday, Mthethwa said there were 896 298 serious crime arrests in 2012/13 compared to 777 140 during the 2011/12 reporting period.
Police convicted 352 513 people for serious crimes, while there were 307 580 convictions in 2011/12.
Contact crime has decreased by 38.2% over nine years, 16% during the past four years and 4.2% during the past financial year of 2012/13, said Mthethwa.
While the murder rate reduced by 27.2% over nine years, with a further reduction of 16.6% during the past four years, Mthethwa said there was a slight increase of 0.6% during the past financial year (2012/13). Mthethwa further announced an increase in attempted murder of 6.5% during the past financial year.
He said the police would double their efforts to fight this crime.
“We will work harder to ensure this slight increase is re-routed to the downward trends that we experienced over the past 9 years.”
He said the period had been characterised by growing unity in action against crime, a period focused on improving life conditions for all, especially the poor.
Crimes committed against women also decreased by 11.1 % to 175 880 when compared to the 2009/10 period, when there were 197 877 cases.
Mthethwa says rape has decreased by 3.3% in past four years and 0.4% this year. This number, he said, was still unacceptably high.
There was a 34.6% decrease in ATM bombings, from 399 cases to a reduction of 261 cases.
Mthethwa said the stats were proof that police interventions were yielding the desired effects. However, there was still a long way to go to rid South Africa of crime.
“Our journey since apartheid gives us confidence that we will reach a crime-free society.”
Sexual offences rate drops
The country’s sexual offences rate has decreased but Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa says it still remains too high.
Releasing the National Crime Statistics on Thursday, Mthethwa said sexual offences were down by 0.4% over the past financial year of 2012/13.
Rape, including compelled rape, acts of consensual sexual penetration with certain children (12>16 years), has decreased by 3.3% during the past four years.
Sexual assault decreased by 6.2% over the same period, after increasing during the preceding three years.
About 80% of sexual crimes happen amongst acquaintances, at times, amongst close family members.
“What this means is that we are faced with a societal challenge, which requires a societal response,” said Mthethwa.
The minister reiterated the point that they were still unhappy and concerned about the levels of rape in the country, adding that the protection of communities was now central to police strategies aimed at reducing incidences of gender-based violence.
Mthethwa said a victim-oriented police service was important in encouraging more people to report these crimes.
He said the reintroduction of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units will go a long way to decrease the numbers in these categories.
Already, Mthethwa said, based on capacity building and investment, there has been a remarkable increase in life sentences for perpetrators of such crimes.
“Since the re-establishment of the FCS units, there were a combined 36 225 years imprisonments.”
He said the recent announcement on specialised courts by the Ministry of Justice will help to bring impetus to the finalisation of these cases, which Mthethwa said had a deterrent impact on crime.
“We also believe that continued awareness campaigns with other role-players within government and NGOs will enhance our approach and contribute to reduction of such crimes.”
Murder rate up by 0.6%
National Crime Statistics released today show that more people were murdered in the country in the 2012/13 financial year compared to 2011/12.
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said there was a slight increase of 0.6% in the murder rate in the past financial year.
Previously, this category had decreased by 27.2% over the past nine years, and 16.6% over the past four years.
There was also a 6.5% increase in attempted murder in the year under review.
This was in contrast to the decrease in attempted murder by 51.7% over the past nine years and 16.8% over the past four years.
Mthethwa attributed these increases to a number of trends in the provinces, including cases of domestic violence, alcohol and drug related arguments and gang related violence.
The minister said they will double their efforts to ensure this slight increase is re-routed to the downward trends that was experienced over the past nine years.
SAPS, he said, have identified several interventions to address the increase. These include enhanced policing partnerships, the accelerating of the resourcing of Public Order Policing; partnerships with rural leaders and strategic deployment in crime hotspots.
Others include the rollout of Mining Crime Combating Forums and implementing the Illicit Mining Strategy.
Cash-in-transit heists on the decline
Robbery of cash-in-transit and bank robberies have decreased over the past financial year, the National Crime Statistics revealed on Thursday.
“Robbery of cash-in-transit has remarkably reduced by over … 62.4% during the past four years. We are encouraged to see a further 20.3% decrease during the past financial year (2012/13).
“Bank robbery remarkably reduced by … 93.1% during the past four years and we are pleased with another significant decrease of 80% during the past financial year (2012/13),” said Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa at the release of the stats in Pretoria.
In the period under review, there has also been an 18% decrease in ATM bombings, from 261 cases down to 214 cases.
Mthethwa attributed this to lessons learnt from strategic and structured partnerships with industry bodies, such as the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC).
“Police alone would not have been able to break the backbones of these crimes over the past few years,” he said.
SABRIC CEO Kalyani Pillay said the downward trend demonstrates the commitment shown by dedicated policemen and women, working in collaboration with the banks, cash-in-transit companies, and SABRIC, to bring to book perpetrators of crimes affecting these industries.
There has been a swift arrest of most kingpins and keeping them in custody, while there have been fatalities of perpetrators in confrontation with the police.
Due to the sharing of intelligence and statistical information, engaging mall managers on security issues, shoplifting in the country also dropped by 3.9%
Theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles has also dropped by 4.4% during the past financial year, with Mthethwa saying this was due to the advanced technologies in vehicle security and police recoveries. However, car hijacking increased by 5.4% during the period under review
Meanwhile, burglary at non-residential premises has increased by 1.7% during the past financial year.
Some of the identified factors for this increase are foreign owned business, which are also used as a home and bank, lack of minimum or basic security measures on the premises as well as abundance of cash on the premises.
Common robbery for its part was reduced by 2.2%. This was attributed to the role of the community in supplying the necessary information and the patrols of the streets.
“This is corroborated by swift arrests that have been effected,” said Mthethwa.
The introduction of Rural Safety Priority Committees that are functioning at national and provincial level in all provinces have seen stock theft drop by 6.5%.
There was also a 7% decrease in all other theft – a drop that has been attributed to the intensified implementation of the Second Hand Goods Act.
Meanwhile, malicious damage to property has decreased by 4.1%, while arson was also down by 8.7%.
Illegal firearms dropped by 0.7%. Police confiscated 20 145 firearms in the reporting period, while 4 936 were voluntary surrendered.
SAPS has destroyed a total of 56 051 in 2012/13 firearms in the last financial year.
Alcohol, drugs central to violent crimes
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa says the police will step up their fight against alcohol and drug abuse, as it has been identified as an underlying factor that increases the violent nature of crime in South Africa.
Mthethwa said while the police were doing all they can to deal with drug lords and destroying drug factories, he said more needed to be done to deal with substance abuse as this, combined with other socio-economic factors like unemployment, was frustrating efforts to make a dent on serious crimes.
Mthethwa said this shortly after announcing the much anticipated crime statistics at the SA Police Service Tshwane Training Academy on Thursday.
He said the police would also step up their efforts to clamp down on illegal liquor outlets that often operate without liquor licences and dispense alcohol without following regulations like the age limit.
“We have seen the proliferation of these liquor outlets, both legal and illegal, and if you look at some of the [crime statistics] graphs, some of the murders start by arguments, followed by common assault, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), attempted murder and murder.
“…If people just run these [liquor] outlets, and we have seen that they are the major driver of crime, and they run them without limitations, I don’t think that is going to help us,” he said.
Zooming into policing, Mthethwa said 1 096 694, 944 litres of liquor were confiscated and 92 929 identified illegal liquor premises were closed down during 2011/12 compared to 1 824 865, 82 litres confiscated and 74 547 premises closed in 2012/13.
In an interview with SAnews after the announcement of the stats, Mthethwa said police would continue to enforce the law, while allowing space for provincial authorities to deal with making laws and implementing them to win the fight against alcohol abuse.
He also said unemployment and lack of recreational and sports facilities contributed to substance abuse, and added that he was concerned at the fact that the users of drugs were becoming younger.
“Socio-economic conditions have a direct link with what is happening in communities… What happens with youngsters that are employed and those that go to school and go home after school is that there are no sports facilities for them,” he said.
Mthethwa said strong partnerships were required to fight against drug abuse, and added that various government departments and the community had a role to play in rehabilitating drug addicts, while the police would be able to focus on policing drug lords.
He said provincial and local government departments also needed to demolish drug dens, also known as lolly lounges, as those buildings were in most cases owned by the state.
“The police still have a job to do… to ensure that drug laboratories are dealt with and eliminated, [and] drug lords are followed up.”
He said the Asset Forfeiture Unit was also conducting lifestyle audits on alleged drug lords that have been fingered by members of the community.
Despite crimes like murder going up in the past year, Mthethwa said a reduction in other categories – including sexual assault – was encouraging, and showed that police had crime under control.
Gareth Newham, the head of the Governance, Crime and Justice Division at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said he was disappointed at the increase in crimes like murder, residential burglary and car hijackings.
“The positives are that the overall crime categories are going down and that there has been reduction in thefts and shop lifting and assault. I think we are a bit concerned with the increase in murder and attempted murder and assault [with intent to do grievous bodily harm].”
Newham also called on police to release stats on a monthly basis to help members of the public to identify with crime trends to enhance safety and awareness.
Police attend to over 12 000 public protests
Police have managed over 12 300 public protest during the 2012/13 financial year.
Of these, 10 517 were peaceful and 1 882 were violent public protests, with a total of 693 criminal cases reported. This is revealed in the latest national crime statistics.
Recently, unresolved social issues have resulted in some members of the public expressing themselves through structured and non-structured public gatherings, marches and some times, public protests which have led to opportunistic criminal elements.
“Most of the cases were reported in the Western Cape and North West provinces. Currently, stability has been restored,” said Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa on Thursday during the release of the National Crime Statistics.
Over the past four years, a total of 46 180 incidents were attended to, and all were successfully stabilised, with 14 843 arrests effected.
“These include 41 104 peaceful and 5 076 unrests such as South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU), South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU), De Doorns, Marikana, Zamdela and Ratanda to mention a few,” said the minister.
The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster has recently reiterated that law enforcement agencies will act against anyone found to be responsible for public violence during the protests.
Mthethwa acknowledged that “more fresh and dedicated resources” are required to capacitate Public Order Police to meet these challenges.
Current initiatives, he said, include the rollout of the Provincial Crime Prevention Strategies and Mine Crime Combating Forums, which aim to bring order during public protests.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested a total of 806 298 people for serious crimes in 2012/13. A total of 352 513 were successfully convicted of these serious crimes.
Of these, 609 suspects were sentenced to 826 life sentences. The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit accounts for 499 of these life sentences.
About 1 586 persons were sentenced to a combined total of 2 006 years imprisonment for serious crimes. – SAnews.gov.za
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