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The latest crime statistics released by Police Minister Bheki Cele on Tuesday indicated a 3.4% increase in the murder rate between January and March this year.
According to the 4th Quarter Crime figures, 6 285 people were killed in the three months under review, with most of the murders reported in Kwazulu Natal, Western Cape, and Gauteng.
Minister Cele said arguments, robberies, and vigilantism, topped the list of motives for these murders.
Kwazulu Natal also has the unenviable tag of having the most reported multiple murder cases, claiming 205 victims between January and March, followed by the Eastern Cape, with 155 reported victims.
Cele said the number of reported rape cases has shown a decrease, with six provinces reporting fewer cases.
However, the Minister said "It remains concerning that 10 512 people were raped in the first three months of this year," adding that "4 768 of the rape incidents took place at the home of the victim or at the home of the perpetrator."
Commenting, the Freedom Front Plus said the crime statistics reflect the level of criminality that is the direct consequence of a shrinking economy and the desperation of unemployed South Africans who are increasingly resorting to crime for survival.
“It also paints an alarming picture of a violent society where murder and serious assault are at the order of the day,” said FF Plus leader, Dr Pieter Groenewald.
DA MP, Andrew Whitfield, said the quarterly crime statistics paint a bloody picture of violence tearing away at our social fabric while our citizens cower in fear in their own homes.
"Criminals have declared war on the people of South Africa. Crime is spiralling out of control while Minister Cele and the SAPS have not demonstrated any ability to take the fight to violent criminals and reverse the upward trend in the crime statistics," he said.
Meanwhile, the results of a survey by the Automobile Association, which now offers armed response services, found that only 31% of South Africans said they feel either ‘mostly safe’ or ‘completely safe’ in the country.
The AA survey also found that 37% of citizens feel either ‘barely safe’ (22%) or ‘not safe at all’ (15%) in South Africa.
"The majority of South Africans (32%) feel somewhat safe living in the country," said Willem Groenewald, CEO of the AA.
"According to the findings, South Africans feel most unsafe in outdoor public spaces (45%) and during their daily commute (25%). In their own homes, the survey found that South Africans either feel ‘safe’ (30%), ‘very safe’ (20%), or ‘extremely safe’ (14%). However, a staggering 36% of people indicated that their either feel only ‘somewhat safe’ (29%), or ‘not safe at all’ (7%) in their homes."
“These numbers are not only an indication of the nightmare many South Africans face daily, but they are indicative of a government that has totally lost control against crime. Not only do these statistics show crime is increasing but they also show, alarmingly, that 81% of South Africans trust private security more than they do the South African Police Service (SAPS),” Groenewald noted.
