Police Minister Bheki Cele.
- More than 7700 people were murdered in three months, according to the latest quarterly crime stats.
- On Friday, Police Minister Bheki Cele released the statistics for crimes recorded between October and December 2023.
- During the briefing, Cele said that there had been an overall decline in sexual offences crimes.
In just three months, more than 7 700 people were murdered across South Africa.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said, during the release of the third quarter crime statistics on Friday, that between October and December last year, 7 710 people were murdered – an increase of 155 from the same period in the previous year.
“As we unpack the third quarter crime statistics, for the past two consecutive terms, we had noted a reduction in the number of murders reported,” said Cele.
“It is disturbing and concerning that the number of people murdered during this period increased by 2.1%, leading to 155 more people murdered as compared to the same period.”
News24 previously reported that there 6 200 people were killed between January and March last year, and 6 945 between July and September.
The five police precincts with the most recorded murders during the third quarter period were Inanda in KwaZulu-Natal and Mfuleni, Gugulethu, Nyanga and Khayelitsha in the Western Cape.
Cele said:
It is also concerning that of the 268 gang-related murders, 250 of these murders were reported in the Western Cape.
The majority of the top 30 stations where murder was most reported were in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Eastern Cape.
Cele said that “attention and more resources have been allocated to stations that have the highest number of murders reported”.
He added that 431 murders had been linked to vigilantism and mob justice attacks. Of these, 84 had taken place in Gauteng, 80 in the Eastern Cape and 78 in KwaZulu-Natal.
There had also been six mass shootings during the three-month period.
READ | 8 Cape Town taxi drivers killed since January, operators ‘have no idea who is behind attacks’
During the same period, 42 people were handed life sentences for murder, with another 83 convicted murderers receiving sentences of 20 years or longer, Cele said.
Another 497 people were handed sentences ranging between five and 19 years imprisonment.
The minister said that 22 police officers had been killed between October and December. Ten of them had been on duty at the time.
He said:
Criminals are warned that they will face the full might of the law and be held accountable for all the consequences flowing from the killing of police officials. We will not hesitate to ensure that those who harbour police killers, or are in any way involved in criminal activity related to police killings, will face the same consequences as the criminal who actually pulled the trigger.
During the briefing, Cele said that there had been an overall decline of 1.7 % in sexual offence crimes, including rape and sexual assault, during the third quarter.
“Rape declined by 1.7%, and six provinces – including Gauteng, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape and Western Cape – all registered a decline in this crime category.”
He said the briefing “takes place at a time when the tide is turning against crime through concerted efforts in ensuring that a safe and secure environment is provided for all who live in South Africa”.
READ | Condoms, blood stains and underwear linked alleged serial killer to murders of three sex workers
The three months had been a “busy period in the police calendar as it marked the festive period, a time which is often characterised by a lot of movement, an influx of visitors and tourists as well as holidaymakers to the country”.
“This is quite often a period in which criminals prey on these unsuspecting victims, robbing them of their hard-earned money and belongings.”
Recent Comments