By Thapelo Molefe
The SA Federation of Trade Unions as acknowledged the recent decline in violent crime as reported in the latest statistics released by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
However, it has emphasised that while this decrease is a step in the right direction, the overall crime levels remain “unacceptably high” and require urgent intervention from the state.
According to the latest data, South Africa has seen a 9.8% decrease in murder, a 3.3% reduction in rape cases, and a decline in hijackings and robberies.
However, the federation warned that these statistics did not reflect the full reality of crime in the country.
“These figures still reflect a nation under siege, where communities continue to live in fear, and working-class people remain vulnerable to violence and lawlessness.”
Despite the improvements, Saftu expressed serious concerns about certain crime categories that have worsened.
“Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and malicious damage to property have increased, posing significant threats to community stability,” said Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
He said that while murder rates had declined, the total number of killings remained critically high in provinces such as Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.
“The continued high prevalence of gang-related violence in the Western Cape, where 263 murders were recorded in just three months, is alarming and requires urgent, focused intervention.”
Saftu argued that crime in South Africa was not merely a policing issue but a deep-rooted socio-economic crisis.
“Unemployment, inequality, poverty and inadequate public services fuel the conditions that breed crime,” Vavi emphasised.
The federation criticised the Government of National Unity for failing to address these root causes.
“The state must abandon its austerity measures and invest meaningfully in job creation, social infrastructure and the eradication of informal settlements, which too often become hubs of criminal activity due to the lack of basic services and policing,” Vavi said.
A major concern raised by Saftu was the shortage of police personnel, which it believed hampered law enforcement’s ability to combat crime effectively.
“The country has an estimated police-to-citizen ratio of 1 officer for every 413 people, which is significantly higher than the UN-recommended ratio of 1 officer per 220 people,” Saftu stated.
“This massive shortfall compromises the ability of law enforcement to prevent and investigate crimes effectively.”
The organisation has called for “an urgent police recruitment drive to double the current intake of officers beyond the 10,000 currently planned”.
Another alarming issue Saftu highlighted was the declining ability of law enforcement to solve violent crimes.
“Between 2012 and 2022, the ability of the SAPS to detect murder plummeted by 55%, leaving, only 14.5% of murder cases solved in 2021/22,” it said.
“Similarly, the detection rate for armed robberies dropped by 53%, with only 10.4% of cases solved. This means that a staggering 86% of murder cases and 90% of robbery cases remain unsolved, fostering a culture of impunity that emboldens criminals and fuels rising violent crime rates.”
Saftu also stressed the urgent need for comprehensive reforms within the criminal justice system, pointing to inefficiencies, corruption and outdated judicial processes as significant obstacles to securing justice.
“The justice system is plagued by inefficiency, corruption and outdated processes that delay convictions and deny justice to victims,” the statement reads.
It further noted that the conviction rate for rape remains “alarmingly low, discouraging survivors from reporting their cases”.
Vavi has urged the government to modernise court operations by “including digital case management, online testimonies for vulnerable victims and AI-assisted case tracking to improve efficiency”.
Saftu has called for a range of urgent reforms, stating that “immediate recruitment of at least 20,000 additional police officers” was necessary to enhance crime prevention and response capabilities.
It has also demanded greater investment in public services, including education, healthcare and housing “to address crime at its roots”.
It has emphasised the importance of community-based crime prevention strategies, including the expansion of neighbourhood policing forums and greater collaboration between law enforcement and communities.
Corruption is the criminal justice system had to come to an end as it undermined confidence in law enforcement and the courts.
While Saftu welcomed the decline in crime rates, it made it clear that minor improvements were not enough.
INSIDE POLITICS
