Latest SA Crime Stats Show Increase In Murder, Attempted Murder, Sexual Crime, GBH, Robbery

Riyaz Patel

South Africa’s murder rate increased by 3.4 percent, which translates into 57 people being murdered daily, statistics released Thursday showed.

The total numbers of murders recorded were 21 022, up from from 20 336 in the 2017/18 financial year. This marks an increase of 686 from the previous year.

Police Minister Bheki Cele conceded that the figures “do not look good,” adding that his ministry would work to halve violent crime within less than the 10-year target set by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his SONA Address.

“We believe that ten years is too long to achieve this,” the minister said.

Cele, National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole, Statistician General Risenga Maluleke, and Hawks head Dr Godfrey Lebaya were presenting the annual crime statistics to Parliament’s police portfolio committee.

Some 60 percent of murders happened over weekends, which the minister suggested, were fueled by alcohol and drug abuse.