By Levy Masiteng
The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal wants the criminal justice system to be urgently reformed to address the crime rates in the province.
The quarterly crime statistics released on Monday show that Inanda and Umlazi top the list for rape in the country, and Inanda for murder. While, Umlazi, Inanda, Verulam and Ntuzuma are among the top four places in South Africa for attempted murder, which increased in the last quarter.
“It is clear that that KZN’s law enforcement agencies are not winning the war against crime,” said DA community safety spokesperson Riona Gokool on Tuesday.
“Urgent reform is needed in terms of policing, justice, and sentencing.”
The DA said the reason for the shocking numbers was due to mismanagement and corruption at that the SA Police Service, and underfunding and under-resourcing of law enforcement agencies.
“Equally, there needs to be tougher sentences for perpetrators in order to deter crime, particularly for repeat offenders and those involved in serious crimes such as murder, rape and armed robbery,” Gokool said in a statement.
“Delays in trials, backlogs in courts and lenient sentences have contributed to a sense of impunity among criminals. The DA wants to see reform that will ensure that criminals face swift justice and courts taking a tougher stance against violent crimes.”
She said areas that needed work included intelligence and forensic capabilities, crime prevention, and port and border security.
“As we head into the festive season, the DA calls on every stakeholder and member of our communities to unite in reclaiming KZN from the crippling grip of crime,” Gokool said.
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