Shongwe was reacting to the recent crime statistics released by police minister Bheki Cele, which suggested that rape cases in South Africa had gone up to 10 000 in three months. “These are really disturbing and shocking numbers,” said Shongwe.
He said even though the province was on the right track in its fight against crime, there was a huge need for concerted efforts to eradicate the scourge of crime, especially contact cases.
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“I am worried that our women and children are still being murdered by those closest to them, who should be protecting them at all times. We need to all join hands and fight this demon. We must find innovative new methods of fighting violent crime in our province, and we can never achieve this if we continue to work in isolation,” continued Shongwe.
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When tabling the stats, Cele said a total of 400 rape cases were domestic violence related, meaning the victim and perpetrator had a relationship.
“The majority of people raped are women and those most vulnerable in our society. These statistics show they are often violated by people they know and trust, in their own homes or in places where they thought they were safe,” he said.
He continued by saying the goal was to have a GBV Desk in all police GBV Desk in all police stations countrywide.
