Latest SA crime stats: 82 murders per day reveal “unabated slaughter” of South Africa’s citizens”

For the first time in history, murders in South Africa have increased to above 80 people per day, and rapes to over 135 every single day.

The latest heartbreaking and shocking release of South African crime statistics for the third quarter of 2022/23 – for the period October to December 2022 – reveals the “unabated slaughter of South Africa’s citizens”, according to the DA.

MP Andrew Whitfield, DA Shadow Minister of Police says in a statement: 

“Not since the dawn of democracy in 1994, has South Africa ever been in such a violent, murderous and bloody war against crime as we are today. It is a war which is being completely and utterly lost due to a vacuum in crime intelligence, poorly trained police officers and under-resourced police stations across the country.

Whitfield asked: “In what other country in the world would a Police Minister still keep his job under such circumstances?”

Some of the worst SA crime statistics revealed today include:

• 7 555 murders (82.1 per day) (increased from 74 per day)
• 15 545 sexual assaults (169 per day) (increased from 154 per day)
• 50 582 Assault with G.B.H. (550 per day) (increased from 505 per day)
• 37 829 violent robberies (411.2 per day) (increased from 371 per day)

With the previous release of the crime statistics, Bheki Cele had said that it was “not a good time to be a woman” in South Africa. Today, pointed out Whitfield, it is even worse.

In Q3 of 2022, Gender Based Violence and Femicide ‘skyrocketed’, says the DA:

• 1101 murders (12 every single day and an increase of 199 from the last year Q3)
• 1636 attempted murders (17.8 per day and an increase of 396 from last year)
• 17 271 assaults (187.7 per day and an increase of 1579 from last year)

Mass shootings

“A horrific escalation in mass shootings further exposes the complete failure of crime intelligence to prevent the circulation of illegal firearms and to anticipate these terrifying incidents,” says Whitfield.

In quarter 2 between July and September 2022 578 murders in 250 cases of mass shootings were reported and in the 92 days of quarter 3, 294 mass shootings took place, killing 665 people. Whitfield says:

“These crime statistics illustrate the complete failure of the management of the South African Police Service to strengthen crime intelligence and improve visible policing to prevent crime. In Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2019, he promised to halve violent crimes within 10 years but today it continues to rise. His silence in his reply to the SONA debate this week is as good as an admission of defeat in the war against crime.

“As we fast approach the halfway mark to yet another broken promise, violent crime is on its way to being double, not half, within the 10 years.

“It is time for Ramaphosa to drop Cele, appoint a capable Minister and devolve policing powers to capable provincial and local governments to get the job done.”

The crime stats prove that a new model of policing is urgently needed, adds Gillion Bosman – DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Community Safety

The vision is shared by not only Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, says Bosman, but by some ANC Premiers in other provinces too.

The Western Cape Government has implemented the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) with “brave officers” who have so far confiscated more than 300 firearms; and conducted 12 896 patrols in hotspot areas, amongst other achievements.

“With Western Cape High Court also showing that there is evidence that SAPS management in the province has been infiltrated by gangs, the urgency to bring policing closer to the people couldn’t be more crucial,” says Bosman.

In Australia’s updated advice today to its citizens travelling to South Africa, it warns that “police in South Africa deal with a high volume of aggravated crime. Their resources are stretched. You may not get the level of service you would in Australia, especially for less serious crimes such as theft and fraud.”