Concern over missing dockets and unresolved crimes in SA

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised concerned about the high number of missing dockets and unresolved cases at police stations across the country.

Unresolved cases

In May, former Minister of Police Bheki Cele disclosed in a parliamentary reply that since the 2018/2019 financial year, over 5.4 million case dockets had been closed without resolution due to a lack of evidence or leads.

Following these revelations, the party decided to submit a request for information under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to obtain further details on these dockets.

In a statement, DA Member of Parliament (MP) Lisa Schickerling said the party had received further information from current Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on 7 August.

ALSO READ: ‘Even MPs get kidnapped these days’ – Parties tear into police’s budget

“The information furnished to the DA by the minister paints a disturbing picture, particularly in light of our country’s Women’s month celebrations, and highlights key areas of concern in both docket management and the capacity and staffing shortages in the Saps [South African Police Service] detective services,” she said in a statement on Sunday.

Among the unresolved cases from 2018 to 2019 were: attempted murder (40 089), assault with grievous bodily harm (141 026), aggravated robbery (256 162), rape (61 740), sexual assault (5 523), kidnapping (9 114), and murder (76 655).

Lost dockets

Schickerling stated that, regarding lost case dockets from police records, the highest numbers are associated with murder, assault with grievous bodily harm, and aggravated robbery cases.

“With respect to case dockets lost from the police’s offices, the highest numbers belong to dockets in cases of murder, assault GBH, and aggravated robbery.

According to the police minister’s reply, 68.75% of dockets stolen from police stations were open cases of rape and sexual assault.

 “All of them in the province of Limpopo, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of docket management within the Saps and the maintenance of docket safety,” Schickerling said.

READ MORE: Shoot to kill: ‘Police are human, not stones’ says Mchunu

The DA called upon the minister and national police commissioner Fannie Masemola to launch a full-scale investigation into these missing and stolen dockets.

“If one breaks the numbers down, approximately 974 cases of rape and sexual assault are closed without result every month.

“This means that an average of about 32 victims of rape and sexual assault lose a chance at obtaining justice each and every day.”

Schickerling added that the DA will write to Parliament to request the minister, national commissioner, and the Limpopo provincial commissioner be brought before the portfolio committee to “discuss these matters and present to the committee their plans to remedy these critical failures within Saps”.