WRAP | Kidnappings doubled nationally: over 4 000 cases reported to police from July to September

WRAP

The quarter two crime statistics showed that crimes against women remained high compared to the same period in 2021 (during lockdown).

13 000 women were victims of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Meanwhile, 10 000 cases of rape were reported.

SAPS noted that rape statistics are not gender-specific.

In this period, several life sentences were handed down by the courts for rape.  

SAPS said it is making headway in clearing the vast DNA backlog alongside the NPA.

To date, 17 410 cases have been processed. Assault and murder remained high with more than 7000 people killed between July and September.

In summary: 

Contact crimes increased by 18.5%

Sexual offences increased by 11%

Contact-related crimes went up by nearly 5%

Property-related crimes increased by more than 7%

Commercial crimes went up by nearly 20%

Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola says Gauteng and Western Cape have the highest cases of possession of illegal firearms.

“Those provinces have over 1000 cases,” he said. 

- Sandisiwe Shoba 

Minister Cele says foreign nationals are not being disproportionately targeted by police “Arresting criminals cannot be xenophobic,” he said. 

- Sandisiwe Shoba 

More police on the ground for festive season, but is it enough, ask Western Cape CPFs

The Western Cape is expected to receive an influx of policing resources ahead of the festive season. However, some residents of crime-ridden areas say they doubt that the extra boots on the ground will make a lasting impact.

During the launch of the South African Police Service Safer Festive Season campaign in Cape Town this week, Police Minister Bheki Cele said there were more than 10 000 recruits. The programme has been launched in four provinces.

Cele said the 10 000 additional police that will be deployed in December should assist in reducing vigilantism. 

- Sandisiwe Shoba 

Responding to queries about the rise in vigilantism, Cele said it is a “concern”.

He said these incidences were “organised” by smaller groups of agitators.

- Sandisiwe Shoba

Major-General Thulare Norman Sekhukhune is seen earlier taking the briefing through a more detailed presentation of the crime statistics.

(Photo: Fikile Marakalla/GCIS) 

Police Minister, General Bheki Cele, presents the quarterly crime statistics, reflecting on crimes reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) from 1st of July to 30th September 2022.

(Photo: Fikile Marakalla/GCIS)

Murder at liquor outlets in the country:

The most frequently weapons used include firearms (133), knives (65), sharp instruments (19).

- Iavan Pijoos

Top 5 stations with highest reported rapes:

Inanda

Mthatha

Delft

Lusikisiki

Thohoyandou

- Iavan Pijoos

Firearms were the most frequently used weapon during murders.

2808 people were killed by a firearm.

- Iavan Pijoos

Top 5 stations where murder cases were opened include:

Inanda

Umlazi

Nyanga

Delft

Plessislaer

Marianhill

- Iavan Pijoos

Between July to September 2022, 315 children were murdered.

During the same period 989 women were killed.

- Iavan Pijoos

The DA writes to Ramaphosa calling for Cele's head

"The Democratic Alliance has today written to the President, yet again, calling on him to put politics aside and fire Bheki Cele as Police Minister once and for all. If not, the blood of our nation will be squarely on the President’s hands," DA MP Andrew Whitfield said in a statement released after the Cele briefed the Portfolio Committee on Police.

Whitfield said when he became president, Ramaphosa promised to halve violent crime in ten years.

"He is now almost half way through this ten year period and violent crime has increased exponentially because the truth is that the President is soft on crime."

The DA has repeatedly warned the President that violent crime will not be halved with Minister Cele at the helm of the SAPS.

"How can it be that a Minister is able to continue serving in this position when in the last 3 months 7004 people were murdered and 10 590 people were raped? It is unconscionable that President Ramaphosa rewards Minister Cele for his continued under performance."

– Jan Gerber

Top five stations for contact crimes:

Nyanga

JHB Central

Mfuleni

Tembisa

Durban Central

- Iavan Pijoos

Top five police stations where the community reported serious crimes are:

1.Cape Town Central

2.Honeydew

3.Durban Central

4.JHB Central

5.Mitchells Plain

- Iavan Pijoos

Other serious crimes increased by 19.6%.

Community reported serious crimes increased by 14.8%.

- Iavan Pijoos

Property-related crimes increased by 7.4% and commercial crimes went up by 19.9%.

- Iavan Pijoos

Sexual Offences increased by 11.0% while Contact-Related Crimes increased by 4.9%.

- Iavan Pijoos

Sekhukhune says the quarter two statistics shows the follow crime rates:

Murder - 12 per 100 000 people

Rape - 17 per 100 000 people

Attempted murder - 10 per 100 000 people

- Sheldon Morais

Sekhukhune says contact crimes increased by 18.5%.

- Iavan Pijoos

Major-General Thulare Norman Sekhukhune is taking the briefing through a more detailed presentation of the crime statistics.

He notes that the period under review, quarter two, is compared against a year-on-year period during which the country was under lockdown levels four, three and two, in that order, in 2021.

- Sheldon Morais

SAPS has attended to 2 455 public protests from July to September 2022.

These were both peaceful and volatile demonstrations that mostly occurred in Gauteng with 563 protests, although 123 of those were peaceful protests.

- Iavan Pijoos 

Kidnappings have doubled nationally with over 4 000 counts reported to the police between July and September 2022.

Carjacking, robbery and rape were the top three motives for the recorded kidnapping cases during July to September across the country.

- Iavan Pijoos

Over 6 000 carjackings were reported to the police from July to September 2022.

While the Free State and Limpopo recorded decreases in carjackings, a 24% increase was observed nationally. 

- Iavan Pijoos

The SAPS is investigating 250 dockets of multiple murders, with 578 victims.

This included the mass shooting at the Mdlalose tavern in Soweto, where 17 people were killed in July in a single shooting incident. 

Cele says increases have been noted in crimes under sub category aggravated robbery.He says the month of July 2022, saw the majority of carjacking, robbery at residential and non-residential premises cases reported to the police.

- Iavan Pijoos

Cele says 22 police officers were killed during July to September 2022, this is two members less compared to the same reporting period last year.

“It is on this note that this Ministry will never stop calling on SAPS members to defend themselves at all times from ruthless criminals whenever they are under attack,” he says.

Firearms remain the weapon of choice in most of the reported murders, 2 808 people were shot and killed.

961 of the reported murders in KwaZulu-Natal were as a result of firearms followed by Gauteng with 768 murders.

526 people died from gunshot wounds in the Western Cape.

- Iavan Pijoos

Inanda, uMlazi, police stations in KwaZulu-Natal and Nyanga station in the Western Cape registered the highest counts of murder during this period.

A total of 274 counts of murder were reported in those three areas combined.

- Iavan Pijoos

Arguments, misunderstandings and incidents of road rage and provocations accounted for 956 murders in the country.

Vigilantism incidents claimed the lives of 528 people while 362 people were killed during the commission of a robbery. 

- Iavan Pijoos

Cele says that the second most likely place of occurrence for assault GBH was at public places such as street, open field, recreational center or abandoned buildings.

6 662 assault GBH cases were domestic violence-related.

Cele announced 7 004 people were killed by other persons in South Africa in the second quarter of 2022/2023 financial year. This is an increase of 841 more people murdered, compared to the same period in 2021, when the country was placed under Covid-19 Lockdown four, three and two, he says.

- Iavan Pijoos

Cele says arguments, road rage, provocation and misunderstandings as well as retaliation, revenge and punishment, remain the top motives for assaults GBH. He added that 12 203 assault GBH cases took place behind closed doors; either at the home of the victim or the home of the perpetrator.

- Iavan Pijoos

The July to September months saw a record number of assault cases reported to the police in five years. He says SAPS across the country investigated a total of 85 640 assault GBH and common assault cases in the three months of reporting.

- Iavan Pijoos

KwaZulu-Natal regarded the highest number of multiple murder cases, followed by Gauteng and the Western Cape, respectively. 

- Sheldon Morais

Cele says the DNA specimens at our laboratories as they stand are at 111 174.

Out of this figure, 67 905 is DNA backlog which has been reduced from over 241 167 in May 2021The rest of the DNA specimens from the total 111 174 figure, 43 269 falls within the allocated time of 113 days.

- Iavan Pijoos

“It is clear, the broader civil society, religious sand various community structures must sharply address the causes and preventative measures of crimes against women and children,” says Cele

- Iavan Pijoos

Cele says in Gauteng, a 32-year old Diepsloot serial rapist, was found guilty and sentenced to 16 life sentences, plus 250 years in prison for robbing and raping 16 women.The 32-year-old Asha Moyo stalked and attacked his victims, threatening them with a firearm, before raping them. His youngest victim was 13 years old. 

- Iavan Pijoos 

“For the rape of two minors aged 10, the courts sentenced Ernest Mckein to life in prison in the Western Cape,” says Cele.

- Iavan Pijoos

The minister reveals that 83 rapes were perpetrated at schools and tertiary institutions between July and September this year. He says the ministry is extremely concerned about these incidents.

- Sheldon Morais

Six life sentences were handed down to Lebohang Nyoka in the Northern Cape for rape, housebreaking and theft.

- Iavan Pijoos

Cele says police traced and arrested 410 rapists during this reporting period. 68 of them have been sentenced to life behind bars.

“It is very encouraging that the criminal justice system continues to send a strong message of zero tolerance on rape, through the stiff sentences handed out to rapists,” he said.

- Iavan Pijoos

Between July and September this year, the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit (FCS) arrested 4 375 perpetrators of crimes committed against women and children. 

In the last two financial years, 822 perpetrators of GBV crimes were sentenced to life. 114 life sentences were handed down for GBV crimes in the first six months of the 2022/2023. 

- Iavan Pijoos 

He says 1 895 Assault GBH cases, with children as victims, were opened with the police during this reporting period.

“It is on this note, that the SAPS continues to prioritise Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) related crimes,” he says.

- Iavan Pijoos

In October, the kidnapping, rape and brutal murder of four-year-old Bokgabo Poo shocked the nation and the world, says Cele.

"A four year old with so much to live for and look forward to, her life cut short by a man who has since been arrested," he says. 

Cele says 558 children were killed in South Africa from April to the end of September 2022. Police are investigating attempted murder dockets of 294 children from July to September 2022.

- Iavan Pijoos

"The crime statistics again show that we as communities continue to fail to protect some of the most vulnerable in society; our children," says Cele.

- Iavan Pijoos

Cele says Mpumalanga is the only province to report a decrease in rape incidents. Inanda police station in KwaZulu-Natal, Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and Delft in the Western Cape are the three top stations with the highest rape cases.

Buses, taxis, trains and other modes of public transport, were the third most likely places of occurrence for rape incidents 

- Iavan Pijoos

Cele says 1 651 of the rape incidents occurred at public places such as streets, parks and beaches.

Sixty-nine people were raped at abandoned buildings.

- Iavan Pijoos