South Africa witnessed a staggering rise in murders, with 6,289 people losing their lives in just three months. These figures, released by Police Minister Bheki Cele, highlight the prevailing concern regarding crime.
Reflecting on murder cases in the country, Cele revealed that murder rates increased by 3.4% nationwide between January and March 2023.
Cele stated, “This is the lowest single-digit decrease recorded compared to the previous three quarters. These figures represent not just numbers but human lives that we must protect at all costs. That’s why the police are doubling their efforts to reduce contact crimes.”
During January to March of this year, 6,289 individuals fell victim to various methods of violence, including firearms, knives, blunt and sharp instruments, stones, and even bare hands.
The majority of killings occurred in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Gauteng provinces, with arguments, vigilantism, and robberies ranking as the primary motives for murder.
Notably, KwaZulu-Natal reported the highest number of multiple-murder cases, followed by the Eastern Cape with 206 and 155 victims, respectively.
However, there were decreases in murder figures in the Free State, Northern Cape, and Western Cape provinces. Both the Western Cape and Northern Cape reported double-digit decreases in murder cases.
Regarding reported rape cases, Cele highlighted a decrease in numbers across six provinces during the reporting period. Nevertheless, the first three months of this year saw 10,512 reported rape incidents, with 4,768 occurring at the victim’s or perpetrator’s homes.
Looking specifically at Newcastle and its neighbouring towns, Madadeni ranked among the top 30 areas in South Africa with the highest prevalence of rape. Madadeni SAPS reported 37 rape cases from January to March 2023. This was nine less than the same period in 2022.
Madadeni ranked below Inanda with 82 reported cases, Umlazi with 72 cases, Empangeni SAPS with 59 cases, and Nongoma with 46 cases.
Conversely, Ladysmith emerged as a hotspot for burglaries at non-residential premises, ranking among the top 30 stations reporting this crime. Ladysmith reported 74 cases of burglary at non-residential premises, which was 26 more cases than the same period in 2022.
In Northern KwaZulu-Natal, stock theft remained a major issue. Utrecht reported 42 cases, Dannhauser reported 38 cases, and Ladysmith reported 33 cases, indicating hotspots for this crime.
Newcastle, on the other hand, stood out as a hotspot for commercial crime.
Commercial crime involves dishonest, fraudulent, or criminal acts committed by employees that result in financial loss or personal gain.
According to the SAPS crime stats, Newcastle SAPS recorded 181 commercial crime cases in just three days, marking an increase of 46 cases compared to the same period in 2022.
Ladysmith SAPS also made it to the top 30 police stations with reported cases of motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They reported 61 cases of driving under the influence, which was 58 more cases than the January-March 2022 period.
As crime in Northern KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa remains problematic, readers are invited to share their thoughts on these statistics in the comment section below.
