Crime statistics don’t seem to make people feel safer, despite decreases
The crime statistics for the past financial year has left many feeling distraught and a little afraid. The stats have also shown the failure of the state to succeed in its mandate in making people feel safe, despite some declines in certain crimes.
WHILE keeping the country safe might be the role of the police, helping them feel safe is just as important.
This was one of the key points used by Minister of Police General, Bheki Cele in his speech at the Imbizo Centre in Cape Town mentioned today (12 September), as he prepared to release the annual Crime Statistics as certified by Statistician-General of StatsSA Resinga Maluleke.
However, the latest released crime statistics have left many shaken and a few organisations calling for major changes in the way the state is dealing with crime.
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It is also important to note that the 2018/2019 financial year crime statistics do not reflect the series of murders involving women and children, which have dominated the headlines across the country in recent weeks.
A broad overview of the crime statistics presented
| Crime Category | Figures |
| Murder | 3.4 % |
| Sexual Offences | 4.6% |
| Attempted Murder | 4.1% |
| Assault to do grievous bodily harm | 2.2% |
| Common Assault | 3.7% |
| Common Robbery | 2.0% |
| Robbery with aggravating circumstances | 1.2 % |
What makes up the crime statistics?
The crime statistics cover 17 community reported crimes and four other crime categories detected as a result of police action.
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The scope of the crimes were reported at all 1 154 police stations, including satellite stations and ports of entry nationwide. All crimes were either reported by the victim, witnesses, third-parties or detected by members of the South African Police Service.
What the minister said
“The current administration has received the marching orders from President Cyril Ramaphosa of halving violent crimes in the next decade, as the police service we aim to achieve this goal in the shortest possible time. Therefore all our resources and operational strategies have been channelled accordingly towards achieving this target,” he said in his address which has been shared on the government communication platforms.
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He said that while statistics proved that between 2009 and 2012 the numbers of reported murders decreased the number has increased since then, which he felt was important to note in order to provide context to the current challenges faced by police.
“We all need to have full appreciation of the task at hand given to this current leadership. The reversal of six years is a mammoth task, but it is doable,” he said optimistically.
NSI plan in action
Mentioning pronouncements made in the budget vote presentation in July, Cele reminded South Africa he had mentioned the intentions to re-introduce units which had previously been disbanded and had been under-resourced for the past six years.
He explained the plan had been to implement a National Stability Intervention (NSI) plan.
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“Capacitating specialised units, Detectives, HAWKS and Crime Intelligence was also announced. Part of the pronouncement was the establishment of the Ministerial Advisory Council. This is aimed at bringing knowledge and expertise from subject experts in policing, together with former Generals of the police that made a positive impact during their tenure,” he said adding that recent consultations about this have been what he termed “fruitful”.
“I am intending to meet other relevant stakeholders in the sector, Corruption Watch, Social Justice Coalition and the Academic fraternity. The joint intergovernmental approach to the fight against crime will also yield positive results going forward, because fighting crime is everybody’s responsibility.”
He said he felt despite the crime statistics still increasing the past financial year had shown some improvement.
“Last year when we released the Crime Statistics of 2017/18 financial year I said ‘we dropped the ball’ and ‘I further said next year we will either reduce, maintain but definitely we will not increase.’ Ladies and gentlemen I am leading this team this morning to give that account. I am here to say – Yes the crime statistics are not looking good however they look much better than last year in addressing the six-year drastic increase in most crime categories.”
One of the group of crime categories the minister is probably most proud of was the statistics showing a decrease in crime detected as a result of police action which, include an increase in the number of sexual offences detected by police.
| Crime Categories | Figures |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | -10.4% |
| Drug-related crime | -28.1% |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | -3.8% |
| Sexual Offences detected as a result of police action | 19.0% |
Cele said that the past year has seen police invest heavily into curbing cash in transit (CIT) heists and other trio crimes which is the category under which house robbery, business robbery and vehicle hijacking fall.
He said the statistics show positive results in these categories.
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“In the previous financial year the number of murders increased by 1 320, that figure was halved in the financial year 2018/19 to 686. This means the rate of increase is slowing down. However when this is translated to percentage change; the figure reflects an increase of 2.6% in all contact crimes and the 17 Community-Reported Crimes increased by 0.7%.”
| Crime Category | Figures |
| Carjacking | -1.8% |
| Robbery at Residential Premises | 0.8% |
| Robbery at Non-Residential Premises | -0.3% |
| Robbery of Cash-In-Transit | -23.1% |
| Bank Robbery | -69.2% |
| Truck hijacking | -1.7% |
Business robberies down but residential robberies up
He also reported that all categories of crime under aggravated robbery had shown a decrease except for one.
Robbery at residential premises, where there was an increase of 0.8 per cent.
In 2018/19, 51,765 common robberies were recorded in #SouthAfrica, up from 50,730 the year before. On average, 142 common robberies were recorded each day. https://t.co/MDwNrATZoq #CrimeStats
— Africa Check (@AfricaCheck) September 12, 2019
“While we are not where we want to be, we are definitely not where we were, there are glimmers of improvements. We have recorded decreases in crimes of fear such as cash in transit heists, bank robberies, car and truck hijackings as well as robbery at non-residential premises.”
He attributed this improvement to the role of intelligence in infiltrating crime rings and foiling plans.
“Police visibility at Malls and other public areas has ensured that we are a step closer to achieving goals set out in the National Development Plan,” he added.
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Cele said his ministry hoped to continue with the aforementioned, (NSI) plan which included many parts of the policing which allowed for quick mobilisation which he said had helped in the fight against trio crimes.
“We believe that the rebuilding of crime Intelligence, Hawks and better working relationships with State Security Agency, National Prosecution Authority, Department of Justice and the Department of Defence will continue to produce favourable results.”Â
 More praise for FCS units
The minister heaped praise on the units dealing with sexual offices, despite the increase in the amounts of rapes in the statistics.
The #SA police recorded 41,583 rapes in 2018/19, up from 40,035 rapes in 2017/18. This means an average of 114 rapes were recorded by the police each day. https://t.co/4EZn2iwfmC #CrimeStats
— Africa Check (@AfricaCheck) September 12, 2019
All Sexual Offences increased by 4.6 per cent with the crime categories of rape, sexual assault, attempted sexual offences and contact sexual offences increasing by 3.9, 9.6, 3.9, and 2.7 per cent, respectively.
“The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit continues to be one of the best units within the SAPS with the fundamental responsibility to protect and serve women children and vulnerable groups.”
The minister explained how 185 units deal with gender-based violence including sexual offences and have, in the past year, recorded 658 life sentences out of 504 registered cases.
“It is through the highly specialised investigative work that 387 suspects were sentenced to 20 years and above,” said Cele adding that since the re-establishment of the FCS in 2010, a total of 4 798 life sentences had been achieved.
“Plans to increase the number of FCS units countrywide and to recruit and train more women officers to work within this specialised environment are underway. To further fight the scourge of violence against women, we have heeded President Ramaphosa’s call to reopen the investigation of all cold cases of gender-based crimes in the country.”
Contact crime is up but most property crime down
| Crime Categories | Figures |
| Arson | 5.5% |
| Malicious damage to property | 1.4% |
All Property-Related Crimes decreased except with the exception of stock theft which has increased by 2.9%.
Burglary at non-residential premises has stabilised.
| Crime Categories | Figures |
| Burglary at non-residential premises | 0.0% |
| Burglary at residential premises | -3.2% |
| Theft of motor vehicle and motorcycle | -4.6% |
| Theft out or from motor vehicle | -3.2% |
| Stock-theft | 2.9% |
Other Serious Crimes decreased by 1.4% except for Commercial Crimes.
| Crime Category | Figures |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | -0.7% |
| Commercial Crime (fraud, scams, corruption etc) | 14.4% |
| Shoplifting | -3.2% |
 Reactions and suggestions from IRR
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) in responding to today’s crime statics likened the situation in the country to a ‘low-intensity civil war’.
Judged by how many South Africans are murdered each year, the country is facing a crime crisis that is akin to a low-intensity civil war. Stand with the IRR at #JoinTheIRR or SMS your name to 32823 (SMSes cost R1, Ts and Cs apply) https://t.co/RkNucEGjxc
— South African Institute of Race Relations (@IRR_SouthAfrica) September 12, 2019
In a statement released to the media on the same day as the stats where released, it said the statistics indicate that South Africa is on the losing end of an ongoing battle against criminality.
“The number of murders has increased to over 21Â 000, a level was last seen in the early 2000s. On a per-capita basis, this rivals numbers seen in places such as war-torn Syria. It is no exaggeration to say that, on the basis of the number of people killed each year, South Africa is facing a crisis that is akin to a low-intensity civil war,” said its statement.
“Sexual offences, which showed a decline over the past decade, are also increasing. According to police statistics, for every person murdered in South Africa, two are raped, with over 40Â 000 rapes being reported annually. The real number is quite possibly substantially higher, as we know that many rapes go unreported.”
“These figures mean that, since the end of apartheid, about 500Â 000 South Africans have been murdered and about one million people have been raped. It is clear that South Africa is losing the war on crime, and that the old ways of doing things are not working,” it continued before making the following suggestions to the way SAPS fight crime:
- Increasing staffing and resources for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units, including expert prosecutors;
- Improving the process of applying for and enforcing protection orders;
- Expediting the process of applying for and being granted firearm licences for self-defence;
- Establishing an inquiry and public hearings into criminality within the police;
- Making all police and prosecutorial appointments on merit alone;
- Increasing the powers of Community Police Forums (CPFs);
- Granting communities the power to elect station commanders; and
- Employing private sector expertise in policing.
“Only innovative solutions will help us to gain ground against criminals and reduce the grave threat they pose to every South African family,” said the IRR before ending its statement with a link to its “Community Safety Charter”, a petition to urge government to “rethink policing and take more effective steps to protect citizens.”
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