Statement by Ian Cameron MP – DA Deputy Spokesperson on Police:
There is some encouraging news in the latest crime statistics, but South Africa’s violent crime levels remain brutal.
5,427 people were murdered between April and June. That is almost 60 people a day, or nearly 2.5 people every hour, roughly one person every 24 minutes. Another 6,596 rapes were recorded, more than 72 every day.
SAPS’ more detailed analysis uses a sample of 5,170 murders where information was available on factors such as the cause, location and weapon used. Within that sample, 2,513 murders involved firearms and 2,871 occurred in public places. Similarly, the 4,121 rapes recorded at residences form part of SAPS’s 6,596-case rape analysis.
There are positive signs. Murder is continuing its downward trajectory, while SAPS also reports reductions in carjackings, residential and business robberies and cash-in-transit robberies. These improvements should be acknowledged.
But our police members themselves are under serious threat. Anti-Gang Unit Constables Thapelo Kleinbooi Tlometsane and Sphiwe Sibeko were killed in Reiger Park earlier this month. This week, Captain Zamani Mzayiya of the Western Cape Tactical Response Team was killed in Knysna while working on murder investigations.
We cannot ask police officers to put their lives on the line and then fail to provide the basics.
A parliamentary reply to the DA shows that of SAPS’s 42,648 vehicles, 6,925 were unavailable for duty, more than one in six. Another 9,378 have travelled more than 300,000 kilometres.
This isn’t just a fleet problem. It’s a policing problem. A good cop without a working vehicle is still a cop who cannot get to you.
The Western Cape also shows what targeted additional capacity can achieve. Murder decreased by 6.7%, while all six LEAP deployment areas recorded fewer murders than the same quarter last year, 56 fewer murders combined.
LEAP cannot claim sole credit, SAPS members and specialised units deserve credit too. But the trend strengthens the case for intelligence-led, hotspot policing and allowing capable municipalities to do more.
We will, however, question SAPS’ figure of 217 gang-related murders in the Western Cape, fewer than 17 per week, when our monitoring of suspected gang murders has been closer to 30 per week. SAPS needs to explain how these murders are classified before conclusions are drawn about the extent of the improvement.
There is progress, but almost 60 murders and more than 72 reported rapes every day is no victory.
Give our police working vehicles, reliable communications, proper intelligence and the backup they need. Use capable municipal policing resources where they exist. Then hold the entire policing system accountable for results.
