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Two quarters of crime statistics still outstanding

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance learned today that the long-anticipated crime statistics for the first quarter of 2024/2025 is not yet ready for release, with Cabinet still to authorise their publication.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has not released any crime statistics since the publication of the Q3:2023/2024 data in February 2024. The scheduled publication of the Q4:2023/2024 statistics in May 2024 was also postponed mere days before the national and provincial elections by former Minister Cele. The report has been gathering dust in the Department ever since, despite the DA writing to the National Commissioner and the Statistician-General in May 2024 to request the urgent release of that data.

The DA also submitted a request for access to the delayed release in May 2024 under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000. This request is still being dealt with by the Ministry.

Access to the national and provincial crime statistics is a vital resource for lawmakers, stakeholders, and policymakers to monitor the performance of our law enforcement agencies. All South Africans have a right to be informed on the successes and failures of their police services and whether their interventions are yielding positive results. Starved of access to these reports, civil society and parliamentarians alike are left in the dark and without a critical tool to hold the Minister and the SAPS to account.

The DA will write to the Minister and the National Commissioner to demand the urgent release of the Q4:2023/2024 crime statistics, which have been shelved since May 2024. The DA will also urge the Minister to prepare a “pre-release calendar” for the crime statistics going forward, setting out the dates and times at which the public may expect this information to be released. This “pre-release calendar” was utilised by the previous administration, to good effect (barring the Q4:2023/2024 release). Finally, the DA will also request a formal undertaking from the Minister that the Q1:2024/2025 crime statistics will be released as soon as possible after Cabinet has signed-off on its publication.

The DA remains steadfast in its mission to hold the police executive to account, build a well-resourced and fully capacitated police service, and ensure that our law enforcement agencies are doing all they can to keep South Africans safe and secure.

Regards

Lisa Schickerling MP
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Police

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