Dear Editor
The latest crime statistics for the second quarter of 2022/23 confirm that the bloodbath of violent crime remains out of control across the country with millions of people living in fear.
Under Bheki Cele’s leadership of the South African Police Service (SAPS), more people are being murdered, raped and assaulted than ever before while President Ramaphosa looks on from London and continues giving Minister Cele his full support.
When he was elected into office, President Ramaphosa promised to halve violent crime within 10 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.
Since Ramaphosa and Cele took office in 2018 murder has increased in Quarter 2 by 26% from 5554 in Q2 2018/19 to 7004 in Q2 2022/23.
The crime stats reveal that every day between July and September 2022:
- 76 people were murdered
- 115 people were raped
- 448 people were assaulted with grievous bodily harm
- 383 serious robberies occurred
These crime statistics which rob the people of South Africa of safety and freedom while at the some time imprison us all in the most terrifying fear that we may become a statistic, can be attributed to President Ramaphosa’s soft approach to crime. When it comes to crime the President is all talk and no action.
The President’s soft approach to crime is a declaration of war on women and children in South Africa. In the last quarter:
- 989 women have been murdered (10 women every single day)
- 13 701 women have been assaulted with GBH (148 women every single day)
- 315 children have been murdered (3 children every single day)
- 1670 children have been assaulted with GBH (20 children every single day)
Even more worryingly, if the murder and assault of our children was not enough, kidnapping in South Africa has increased by 101%, with 4028 kidnappings occurring in the last 92 days.
South Africa needs a war time President not a tea time President! It is time for the President to put down his tea cup, leave the palace and return to his people who are living in a permanent state of fear in a country which resembles a war zone.
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.
Regards
Andrew Whitfield MP
DA Shadow Minister of Police
