Almost all crime in South Africa increased during the last three months (between July and September), with a combined increase of 18,5% for all contact crimes, including murder, sexual offences and robbery.
“The Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, can continue trying to blame the crime situation on everything but himself, but you cannot win the Durban July with a donkey,” said Ian Cameron, Director of Community Safety at Action Society. “The statistics paint a picture of a police ministry failing its primary task. And, it is a direct result of political interference and mismanagement of the police.”
Action Society can attest to the failure of the police by the number of requests for support in murder, assault and sexual offences we receive. The SAPS announced that the murder rate increased by 13,6% from quarter two in the previous year to 7 004 cases in three months. The first quarter of the year showed 6 424 murder cases. South Africa now faces 78 murders per day, up from 71 between April and June.
In the country, 118 people are raped per day, up from 106 per day during the first quarter. That is five rapes per hour.
“The South African Police Service management must be restructured and replaced if we want to see any improvement,” said Cameron. “The SAPS needs an entire strategic refocus, and that will not happen with Cele and the rest of his management at the helm.”
Action Society wants to reiterate its plan to eradicate crime:
- Do a skills audit in the SAPS to determine the merit of appointments and sack members not appointed on merit.
- Polygraph all members – starting with leadership – to determine whether they have been involved in any corrupt activities; if so, sack them.
- Restore crime intelligence capabilities.
- Reinstate specialised units that can effectively deal with serious violent crime without living in the community where they work.
- Crime kingpins, including those with state connections, must be targeted and taken out of operation.
- Restore reservist capabilities, specifically to support specialised units. It is of utmost importance that these reservists do not come from the said communities for intimidation to be limited.
- Pay police members properly.
- Implement police devolution in the Western Cape as a proof of concept.
