Crime Stats – Progress Made, But…

Dear Editor

Today’s release of our country crime statistics for the months of April to June by, the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, shows a step forward in our fight against crime. It nonetheless presents no reason for complacency, as our rates of crime remain some of the highest in the world.
We must remain steadfast in bringing safety to communities, homes and businesses. We are far from there yet.

The following areas remain of considerable concern:

• Violent Crimes against Women and Children: While violent crime quarterly has decreased, yearly, murders on women have increased by 8.6%; attempted murders by 3.5%. We have also seen this with children.  There has been an 7.5% increase in the murder of  children; a staggering 33.7% increase in attempted murder; and 6.8% increase in assault (GBH)
• Rising Commercial Crime: There has been an alarming 18.5% increase in in commercial crimes, speaking to the rise of extortion activities across the the country. In response, the DA recently unveiled its Anti-Extortion Plan: https://cdn.da.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/21132910/DA_Anti-Extortion_Plan_6.pdf
• Continuing Capacity Challenges and Strained Personnel: The Minister’s acknowledgment that crime intelligence, technology, and forensics are not where they should be is a critical area to address. Without robust support in these divisions, sustainable crime reduction will be difficult. While successes in provinces are noted, disparities in resource allocation continue to strain certain regions, particularly those experiencing cross-border crimes.
• A Deep Clean of SAPS Management: We cannot achieve our fight against crime, while inept officials within SAPS work counteractively. All of SAPS’ management must be subject to skills and financial audits.
• Poor coordination of JCPS Cluster: We continue to see disharmony in our country’s overall criminal justice strategy. This lack undermines our collective progress. We call for an integrated approach between SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Department of Correctional Services.

We also note the following achievements:

• Some Reduction in Crime Rates: The decrease in serious crimes by 5.1% quarter-on-quarter is a positive development. Quarterly murder has decreased by 5.8% (from 6 945  to 6 545 murders). Sexual offences have decreased by 2.5% (from 13 090 to 12 765 cases), as well as robbery with aggravating circumstances down 8.8% (from 38 851 to 35 429 cases).
• Targeted Operations Success: Operations like Shanela, which have resulted in over 260,000 arrests and significant seizures of drugs, firearms, and ammunition, are commendable. These results underscore the effectiveness of coordinated high-density policing; yet our crime strategy must both be robust to crime prevention and prosecution.
• Organised Crime Interventions: Successes in provinces like Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and Limpopo against illegal mining, drug manufacturing, and syndicates highlight the importance of intelligence-led policing.
• Inter-Government Collaboration: The establishment of Cooperation Agreements with metropolitan municipalities and engagements with stakeholders such as CITASA (Cash-In-Transit Association of South Africa) signify a step towards integrated crime-fighting efforts.

It is for these reasons the DA continues to call for:

• Devolved Policing Community Engagement: SAPS cannot tackle our fight against crime alone, due to resource constraints and the uniqueness of crime across our country. We reiterate our call for devolved policing to competent provinces for a more effective spread of resources. We also again call for expanding community-policing partnerships to proactively address localized criminal issues, particularly in high-crime provinces like the Free State, Eastern Cape, and KZN.
• Enhanced Intelligence and Forensic Capabilities: We fight crime with outdated technology. We must accelerate the modernisation of forensic labs and crime intelligence systems to stay ahead of sophisticated criminal networks.
• Focus on Prevention: While arrests are important, we also need to be steadfast on crime prevention. We must intensifying crime prevention strategies by addressing socio-economic drivers of crime, such as unemployment and poverty.
• Accountability in Policing: While commendable progress has been made by IPID, stronger mechanisms are needed for consistent discipline and accountability within SAPS.
• Strengthen Port and Border Security: We must reinforce operations at ports of entry to curb illegal immigration, smuggling, and other cross-border crimes.

Minister Mchunu’s leadership has brought some notable strides in combating crime, particularly through strategic operations and inter-departmental collaboration. However, the Minister’s own reflections on persistent challenges, such as resource constraints and gaps in technology, underscore the urgency for deeper systemic reform. It is vital to sustain the momentum, address these structural weaknesses, and ensure that every South African feels the impact of a safer, more secure society.

Regards

Ian Cameron MP
DA Spokesperson on Police