At least 82 people were killed daily in SA between October and December last year.
Announcing the crime statistics for the last quarter of 2022 on Friday, police minister Bheki Cele said 7,555 people were killed over 92 days between October and December. Of these, 3,144 were killed with a firearm while the other people were killed with weapons such as knives, sharp and blunt instruments, bricks and in many cases bare hands.
The murders are an increase of 10.1% compared with the same period in 2021.
Cele said in the past 12 months, police have destroyed 65,519 illegal firearms.
He said the high unemployment rate, establishment of informal settlements with inadequate services and undocumented foreign nationals are some of the reasons behind criminal activities.
''It is clear that a broader conversation must be had about what is at the heart of violent crime in the country. Gun violence is problematic and poses a serious threat to lives and livelihoods. With the analysis of the current and previous statistics, it is quite evident that firearms are only part of a bigger problem. At the core of the matter, is the human behaviour. We have to be honest as South Africans about the causes of violence and address them.
''High rates of unemployment and poverty levels, the mushrooming of informal settlements with little to no services and other socioeconomic ills are breeding criminality, coupled by a high number of undocumented foreign nationals that are hard to trace after the commission of a crime,’’ said Cele.
The country recorded 12,419 rapes in the third quarter, an increase of 1,104 compared to the same period in 2021.
Cele said it was alarming that 5,935 rape incidents took place at the residence of the perpetrator or victim.
Meanwhile, Cele said the police service has cleared its historic DNA backlog and as of Thursday, the backlog stood at 1,600 compared to the initial 241,000 cases. He said this was a 99.3% reduction in the country’s DNA backlog figures.
''We have completed the building and capacitation of the laboratory in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, which will drastically relieve pressure from the Western Cape laboratory going forward,’’ said Cele.
kokam@sowetan.co.za
Rape figures also rise
Sharp increase in number of daily murders in SA
Image: Freddy Mavunda
At least 82 people were killed daily in SA between October and December last year.
Announcing the crime statistics for the last quarter of 2022 on Friday, police minister Bheki Cele said 7,555 people were killed over 92 days between October and December. Of these, 3,144 were killed with a firearm while the other people were killed with weapons such as knives, sharp and blunt instruments, bricks and in many cases bare hands.
The murders are an increase of 10.1% compared with the same period in 2021.
Cele said in the past 12 months, police have destroyed 65,519 illegal firearms.
He said the high unemployment rate, establishment of informal settlements with inadequate services and undocumented foreign nationals are some of the reasons behind criminal activities.
''It is clear that a broader conversation must be had about what is at the heart of violent crime in the country. Gun violence is problematic and poses a serious threat to lives and livelihoods. With the analysis of the current and previous statistics, it is quite evident that firearms are only part of a bigger problem. At the core of the matter, is the human behaviour. We have to be honest as South Africans about the causes of violence and address them.
''High rates of unemployment and poverty levels, the mushrooming of informal settlements with little to no services and other socioeconomic ills are breeding criminality, coupled by a high number of undocumented foreign nationals that are hard to trace after the commission of a crime,’’ said Cele.
The country recorded 12,419 rapes in the third quarter, an increase of 1,104 compared to the same period in 2021.
Cele said it was alarming that 5,935 rape incidents took place at the residence of the perpetrator or victim.
Meanwhile, Cele said the police service has cleared its historic DNA backlog and as of Thursday, the backlog stood at 1,600 compared to the initial 241,000 cases. He said this was a 99.3% reduction in the country’s DNA backlog figures.
''We have completed the building and capacitation of the laboratory in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, which will drastically relieve pressure from the Western Cape laboratory going forward,’’ said Cele.
kokam@sowetan.co.za
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