SOUTH Africa’s Police Minister General, Bheki Cele, released the second quarter crime statistics for 2021 in Pretoria today.

The crime figures cover 1 July to the end of September 2020.

During he speech he noted that more people were raped in KwaZulu-Natal than any other province in the country and said he would remain critical and vocal about the negative effect alcohol has on communities

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“The figures show the consumption and abuse of alcohol is a causative factor in hundreds of murder cases recorded in the second quarter. Liquor was also involved in 829 assault GBH cases and 747 rape cases. 179 attempts of murder were alcohol induced,” he said.

“Over a thousand incidences of murder, attempted murder, rape and assault took place at in or outside liquor outlets such as bars, taverns, shebeens and nightclubs. These figures make it impossible to deny the true effects of alcohol abuse,” said Cele.

Bellair:

There was one case of murder reported at Bellair SAPS between July to September this year, a decrease of 66.70 per cent when compared to the same period last year.

Six cases of attempted murder were reported at the station, a zero per cent increase since last year.

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There was a 200 per cent increase in reported rape cases, which increased from one reported case to three.

Robbery at a residential premises decreased by 8.30 per cent, from 12 reported cases to 11.

There was one case reported for the illegal possession of a firearm, an increase of one case from last year’s zero cases.

Hillcrest:

Murder cases at Hillcrest SAPS dropped by 20 per cent, from 10 reported cases to eight.

Attempted murder increased from six cases to 10 cases, a 66/70 per cent increase.

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There was a 45 per cent increase in reported rape cases, from 11 cases in July to September in 2019 to 16 cases during the same period in 2020.

Hillcrest SAPS saw a drop of 31.8 per cent in their robbery at a residential address cases, from 22 last year to 15 during the same three-month time period.

One case of illegal possession of a firearm was recorded, a decrease of 88.9 per cent when compared to last year’s nine cases.

Malvern:

There were no murder cases reported in the Malvern area during the three month period, a zero per cent increase when compared to the statistics from last year during the same time frame.

Attempted murder also did not see an increase, with one reported case.

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Five cases of rape were reported at the station, a sharp increase of 500 per cent when compared to its zero cases reported during July to September in 2019.

Robbery at a residential address decreased by 7.7 per cent, from 13 cases to 12 reported cases.

A 150 per cent increase in illegal possession of firearms was reported by the statin, an increase from two cases to five.

Mariannhill:

Murder cases in Mariannhill rose from 18 reported cases during July to September in 2019 to 32 during the same period this year. This is a 77.8 per cent increase.

Attempted murder dropped by 40.6 per cent, from 32 reported cases to 19.

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There were 14 cases or rape reported at Mariannhill SAPS, from 15 cases in 2019 to 14 cases in 2020 during the same three-month period.

25 cases of robbery at a residential address were reported between July to September in 2020, five fewer cases than the same period last year.

Illegal possession of firearms decreased from 18 reported cases during the second quarter to 13 reported cases during the same period this year.

Pinetown:

Pinetown saw an 8.3 per cent decrease in reported murder cases when compared to the same three-month period last year. It dropped from reported 12 cases to 11.

Attempted murder also showed a slight decrease, from 2019’s 14 reported cases to 2020’s 13 reported cases between July and September.

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The reported rape cases dropped by 71.4 per cent, from seven cases reported during the three-month period in 2019 to two cases reported in 2020.

Robbery at a residential address also showed a decline, from 62.5 per cent, a drop of 30 reported cases from 48 to 18.

There were nine reported cases of possession of illegal firearms, a zero per cent increase from the statistics gathered during the same period last year.

Westville:

There was a 300 per cent increase in murder cases in Westville, from zero cases during July to September last year to three reported cases during the same period this year.

Attempted murder saw a zero per cent increase, with five reported cases that mirror the same number reported during the three-month period last year.

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Rape cases dropped by 83.3 per cent, from six reported cases last year to one reported case during July to September this year.

There was an increase in robbery at a residential address, from 20 reported cases to 22 reported cases.

Westville saw a 100 per cent decrease in illegal possession of firearm cases, from two reported cases in 2019, between July and September, to zero reported cases during the same time period this year.

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