Over 100 rape cases reported a day, parly committee told

There are still 110 reported cases of rape per day in South Africa, it emerged during the police portfolio committee crime statistics briefing in parliament on Friday.

Although crime was down for the most part, between April and December last year there had been an increase in the number of women being raped and sexually victimised in the Western Cape.

But it was the only province to record an increase. In the other provinces there has been a decline in these crimes.

And despite the 0.3% increase in sexual crimes in the Western Cape, Gauteng still had the highest number of sexual offences with 7 362 people victimised in that period.

Overall, recorded sexual offences across the country were down from 40 143 to 37 630.

Nationally, sexual offences had decreased by 6.3%, but Acting Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane indicated the police were still struggling to keep these crimes in check.

“We are unable to put a police person in every single house,” he said, adding that it was necessary for the communities to help out as a huge majority of women were raped at home.

Drugs and gansterism were highlighted as major concerns. The prevalence of gangs was still highest in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.

Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko said even though there had been a decrease in reported drug-related cases it was still of concern.

“It’s ideological – the issue of the proliferation of drugs in our society.

“First and foremost, it targets the youth; now basically you are targeting the future, you are killing our people. You are killing our country,” Phahlane said.

“It would be a fallacy to think it is only the police that will resolve the problem of drugs in our society.

“It’s a very serious problem. You can’t grow an economy that is always drunk and intoxicated on illegal substances,” Phahlane said.

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.