Crime stats not 'sexed up'

2003-10-07 22:32

Mandy Rossouw

Pretoria - Responding to the Democratic Alliance's allegations that crime statistics were being watered down, Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula said that "we would be shooting ourselves in the foot" if we did this.

Nqakula has often come under fire from the DA after he decided to release statistics only once a year.

But following the release of the statistics in September, the DA's chief whip Douglas Gibson said that the figures were being tampered with so as to make the public believe the crime problem was under control.

Douglas has also compiled a document, which he says paints the true picture.

Nqakula said on Tuesday that there was no point in falsifying the statistics. "It would mean we did not have a good grip on the crime problem."

"We are involved in a war against crime and not just a campaign. It will take a long time but we will persevere until the criminal element has been eliminated," he said.

The SAPS' plan to have about 152 000 police officers on the street by 2006 is an attempt at dealing with the challenges, he said.

- Beeld