More than four rapes reported every hour in SA

South Africans reported 6.3% few sexual offences between 1 April to 31 December 2016‚ compared to the same period in 2015‚ police figures showed on Friday.

The statistics were released by police minister Nathi Nhleko and acting commissioner Khomotso Phahlane in parliament on Friday.

“Although there were challenges experienced at the beginning of the financial year … the initiatives that have been put in place‚ once it was realised that the situation was getting out of hand‚ seem to have borne fruit‚” Phahlane said.

Despite the downward trend in serious offences like contact crimes‚ Democratic Alliance MP Marius Redelinghuys said that the rape figures were still alarming.

 Contact crimes showed a 1.9% decrease over the nine months. Nhleko said a firearms amnesty would be extended for six months from April in order to further arrest crime.

 More than 30‚000 rape cases were reported in the period under review‚ which amounts to nearly 110 a day‚ or 4.58 every hour.