Various political parties have weighed in on the third-quarter crime statistics, revealing that the SAPS and government are losing the fight against crime, pointing out that communities are at the mercy of criminals.
According to criminal statistics, there have been nearly 8 000 murders in the last three months, yet only 1500 people have been found guilty.
RISE Mzansi labelled the 19% conviction rate mediocre and worrisome, calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa and Police Minister Bheki Cele to be removed.
“The crime statistics indicate that almost 8 000 people were murdered in the last three months, with only 1 500 convictions.
“That is an unimpressive and frightening 19% conviction rate. The murder rate, at current trends, will see almost 10 000 more cases of murder when compared to when Ramaphosa was first elected in 2018, when 21 022 cases of murder were recorded. Ramaphosa and Cele should be removed on this basis alone.”
Commenting on the stats, ActionSA said the release of the third-quarter crime figures demonstrates that South Africans no longer trust the SAPS to tackle crime and thus do not report crimes to the police.
“The police minister should therefore not lie to the South African people that the police are turning the tide against crime when in reality our communities are under siege.”
One of the grave concerns in the statistics is the reported sexual assaults, which the DA has spoken out against.
“The latest crime statistics also show an increase in sexual assaults. This includes the horrific rape of three children at a day-care facility and another five learners who were raped while at school.
“The statistics also show that nothing has changed for the people of KZN, who continue to be exposed to horrific levels of crime. How are we supposed to live in an environment where children go to school and end up being violated and raped?”
According to the GOOD Party, a number of erroneous conditions in South African society, such as poverty and a low percentage of criminals convicted of their crimes, contribute to the high crime rate.
However, the underdevelopment of people and communities is arguably the most serious culprit, rather than the poor standards of enforcement and punishment.
While other political parties slammed Cele and Ramaphosa, Build One South Africa has called for change, revealing that many people have been murdered under ANC governance.
‘’Some 83 people are murdered every day in South Africa under the ANC government. It’s time for change.’
“Cele announced that during the three-month period from October 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, 710 people were murdered in South Africa. That means, on average, 83 people are killed each day. This is a 2.1% increase year-on-year.
“In addition to this, there were 7 927 attempted murders over the same period — a 13% increase year-on-year.”
The Star
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