It is hard to be optimistic when one is adrift in a small boat in a sea of crime. There is some good news for South Africa, though, there does not seem to be any new leaks in this small boat.
The harsh reality of the South African crime crisis is that the country’s rape and murder rates, as well as many other types of crime, are among the highest in the world.
South Africa’s murder rate is approximately 44 per 100 000 people. For context, the international average murder rate is around 6 per 100 000.
In the first three months of this year, 5 727 people were murdered. This is 809 fewer than in the same period last year, but still equates to about 64 murders per day, or nearly four people every hour of the day and night.
Today’s crime statistics show a sharp decline in all crime categories compared to a year ago.
Contact crimes are down by an average of 5,8%. This includes murder (-12,4%), attempted murder (-5,8%) and armed robbery (-10,4%). Rape slightly increased by 0,3%, while sexual assault decreased by 0,2%.
Some more good news is that the feared “trio crimes” are down by an average of 12,1%. Carjackings are down by 15,1%, residential robberies by 0,4% and robberies elsewhere by 23,4%, respectively.
Other notable improvements in the figures include: transit robbery (5 fewer cases), truckjackings (-21,6%), theft (non-residential) decreased by 12,2%, residential theft decreased by 7,6%, and theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles is down by 9,1%.
It is also welcome news that, according to the statistics, livestock theft shows an 8,9% decrease compared to early last year.
It is notable that crime figures have begun painting an increasingly better picture since the new Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, took office. He has been in office since July last year and there has certainly been an improvement in the statistics under his leadership.
It is, therefore, regrettable that the Minister felt it necessary to, for the first time, today include race in the description of the two farm owners and other individuals murdered in rural areas.
Besides the two farmers, two workers, one resident and a farm manager were murdered. Only the resident was white. In the past, it was not customary to attach race to farm murders and attacks in official statistics.
In addition, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) finds it shocking that before and after this week’s conversation between President Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa, there have been several attempts to downplay the scale and brutality of farm murders.
Farm attacks have been a major concern for a long time, even as far back as 1998, when government tasked Police Commissioner Suiker Brits with investigating and reporting on the issue. (Rapport, 16 August 1998)
The investigation found no organised basis for the attacks. However, it was recommended that possible causes such as racism and ideology, as they relate to inflammatory statements such as “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”, be looked into. It never happened.
The fact that farm attacks exist cannot be denied. The Freedom Front Plus maintains its persistent plea that farm attacks should be declared a priority crime.
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