Concerns over conviction rate
2009-10-14 08:17
Cape Town - The police's conviction rate is considered extremely inadequate by the National Treasury.
On Tuesday, a senior Treasury official said in Parliament that there is "great concern" over the police's inability to solve crime. He added that the statistics for the 2008-2009 financial year were "unsatisfactory".
"Criminals know they have little chance of being caught. Should they be arrested, they know the chances are even less that they'll eventually appear in court. And, should they appear in court, the chances are even less that they'll be found guilty," Rendani Randela, of the Treasury's public finance division, told the police portfolio committee.
Conviction rate
Randela's comments came in response to the police's annual report, which was published in September. The statistics in the report paint a gloomy picture.
The suspects who are arrested are involved in only half of all the crimes reported to police annually.
Only 42% of these suspects eventually appear in court; the rest are released. And less than a third (30%) of the suspects who do appear in court are found guilty.
Other unofficial figures are even more dismal. For instance, between April 1 last year and March 31 this year, 121 392 hijackings and armed robberies at businesses and homes were reported to the police.
But eventually only 3 548 of the 15 948 armed robbers who appeared in court between April 1 2008 and March 31 this year were found guilty. According to the police's annual report, this represents a 10% guilty verdict rate.
The conviction rate for murder is 13% and that for sexual crimes, including rape, is only 11.5%.
R41.5bn spent on police
Randela and Mpumelelo Mpisi, a parliamentary researcher, supplied the committee with background information, so that MPs would be prepared when the police's top management appear before them in the near future.
Mpisi pointed out to MPs that increasing amounts of R5 assault rifles - which may only be owned by police, according to legislation - are being used in cash-in-transit heists.
"The police must reveal how many R5 assault rifles were lost by their officials during the past financial year, how many of those weapons were recovered, and to which crimes they are connected."
According to Randela, the billions given to the police for fighting crime do not make South Africa any safer. During the past financial year, the police spent R41.5bn.
Value for money?
"But what does that help if people are raped and murdered in their own homes? Is the target of decreasing violent crime by 7% truly value for money?"
He said the police's overall solved case rate of 50% is "extremely low".
"Criminals are well aware of these figures. They know the chances that they'll eventually end up in prison are really small. I'm extremely worried. And no, the treasury is most certainly not satisfied," said Randela in response to a question from ANC MP Gregory Schneemann.