NELSPRUIT – The Lowveld showed an overall decrease in serious crimes, with 673 less murders in 2012/13 year than in 2011/12.
The release by the SAPS of the 2012/13 national crime statistics on September 19 drew considerable attention from political parties and the media, mainly because of questions about its value.
Mr Reg Crewe, head of community safety for the civil rights group, AfriForum, stated that the retrospective release of crime stats held no value for citizens. National media touted the presentation of data as “vague” and accused the SAPS of using ratios instead of raw numbers in the analysis of crime statistics in order to paint a pretty picture regarding the crime situation in the country.
The SAPS responded that the data, for the period April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013, ws used for “reflection purposes” and that crime ratios were best suited to determine a real increase or decrease in crime.
On a local front
While statistics indicate a national increase in murder, the rate in White River has dropped from 11 recorded in 2004 to only one for the latest period of review. The same decline can be seen in crime statistics for Nelspruit, which shows 11 murders, compared to 31, seven years ago and 15 for 2011/2012. Tonga features the highest number of murders for the region, with 39. Tonga is also the region with the greatest number of reported sexual offences (246).
Overall, sexual crime has risen in the Lowveld: from 1 097 in 2011/12 up to 1 220.
It is also the residents of Tonga (286), along with those living in Nelspruit (207), KazBokweni (212) and Hazyview (162) who have suffered the most at the hands of armed robbers at residential properties. Residents of Pilgrim’s Rest and Skukuza are luckier, with 0 and one case respectively.
Alarmingly, kidnapping seems to be on the increase in the capital city. Since 2004, there has been a steady increment in incidents, with 14 in the last year alone, compared to a total of 39 for the preceding nine years.
Another increase is the number of arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. This is the case in Nelspruit and White River. Police nabbed 86 people in White River in 2012/13 for drunken driving, compared to 80 in the previous period, which is almost double the prior highest figure of 43 for 2008. Barberton boasts the second highest number of these arrests after Nelspruit (216); with a total of 140.
Driving under the influence of alcohol:
Robbery at residential premises:
The overall situation in South Africa
Increase
South Africans can reflect on the 0,6 per cent increment in murder during the last financial year and in attempted murder (6,5 per cent). Serious crime arrests increased by 29 158 from the previous year. Almost 5 000 more firearms were confiscated than in 2011/12. Property-related crime showed an increase of 1,7 per cent.
Decrease
A downward trend is evident in the following major crimes; sexual offences, rape, common assault, common robbery, shoplifting, bank robbery, and theft of motor vehicles and motor cycles. Bank robbery has shown a decrement of 80 per cent for the year under review, cash-in-transit a decrease on 20,3 per cent and ATM bombings occur 18 per cent less.
