Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said the general increase in the murder, rape, and hijacking crime statistics should worry the country. Mchunu released the fourth quarter crime statistics before the signing of the agreement to combat crime in Western Cape and nationally at an event held at Kebler Park Stadium in Western Cape today.

MURDER 

The 4th quarter statistics show a 3.9% increase in murder and a 19.7% increase in attempted murder. According to the statistics, more than 6,500 people were killed in the first three months of the year and 6,234 in the second quarter of the year, bringing the total number of people killed between January and June this year to 12,734. Minister Mchunu said the release of the statistics had been delayed due to the national elections, which took place at the end of May. Mchunu said four of the nine provinces recorded increases in murder cases, with the highest increase recorded in the Western Cape, followed by North West, then the Eastern Cape, and Limpopo. "All the top 30 stations for murder were in only four provinces, namely the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and Gauteng," Mchunu said. The police station with the highest murder cases among them is Nyanga, followed by Inanda, Umlazi, Khayelitsha and Harare. "If we look at the ratio of murders committed per capita per province, the Eastern Cape stands at 17.6%, followed by the Western Cape at 15.3%, then KwaZulu-Natal at 12.3%, and lastly Gauteng at 8.3%. It is worth noting that the Limpopo province recorded 3.3% per capita," said the minister. 

CASH IN TRANSITS AND KIDNAPPING FOR RANSOM

On police murders, Mchunu said 21 police officers were killed in the first quarter (16 off duty and five on duty officers), with the largest number of officers being from the Eastern Cape (five), KZN (four) Western Cape (four). "We will ensure that our personnel receive the support and resources they need to perform their duties safely and effectively,' he said. He further said that rape cases in South Africa have climbed from 9,252 to 9,309, which is a 0.6% increase. The number of cash-in-transit (CIT) heists in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng has reduced, but the minister said they are still a concern. He said the police will be meeting with various cash in transit companies to discuss measures aimed at curbing the crime. The kidnapping for ransom has also gone up. "We have been reading about kidnappings and extortion cases in the media; 135 cases of kidnapping for ransom were recorded in the first quarter, with Gauteng and KZN accounting for 81 and 15 cases, respectively. The extortionist behaviour is all about themselves. Their operations are all about their stomachs; we say so because, in most cases, they do these crimes in order to rush to buy liquor. To the people of SA, I assure you that we are unwavering in our resolve to fight crime. We are warning extortionists that we are coming for you," he added.

A SOBERING STORY

The minister said the numbers tell a sobering story, reflecting the severity of the challenges the country faces. "These numbers represent more than just figures on a page; they reflect the lived realities of our citizens, their fears, their losses, and their hopes for a safer tomorrow. The figures reflect on the lives that have been lost in the past six months because of crime. The data is a reminder of the urgent need on our side to act," he said. Meanwhile, SAPS and the City of Cape Town signed an anti-crime agreement to combat crime on the Western Cape. Delivering the keynote address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was pleased to be part of the historical moment to sign the deal to fight crime in the Western Cape, which has become the capital city of crime. "People of the Western Cape are sick and tired of crime. Our people have had enough of criminals who are terrorising communities. Cape Town has become the capital of murder, drug abuse, and crime. Businesspeople are now tired as they are being forced to pay money to people who are claiming to be protecting them. We are now going to deal with exorcists decisively. We are here to show you that we take your concerns seriously and will address them," Ramaphosa said.