Tag: crime statistics

65% of South African murders due to alcohol, drugs abuse

About 65 percent of the country’s murders resulted from arguments fuelled by substance abuse, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced on Thursday.

Unveiling the 2011/12 crime statistics, Mthethwa said the country’s murder rate had dropped by 3.1 percent since the previous reporting period.

“Murder is one of the most reliable trends of crime statistics,” Mthethwa said.

In 2004/5 more than 18,000 people were murdered. Less than 16,000 murders were reported in 2011/12.

“This translates to a 27.6 percent reduction in murders over an eight year period,” said Mthethwa.

He said research had shown that most murders were committed after an interpersonal argument, stimulated by heavy drinking and drug abuse.

Murder is one of seven categories grouped together as contact crimes.

The other categories are attempted murder, sexual offences, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, common assault, aggravated robbery and common robbery.

“The crimes in question account for 29,9 percent of South Africa’s serious crimes; such crimes involve physical contact (usually violent and coercive in nature) between perpetrators and their victims.”

All provinces except the Free State, Limpopo and the Western Cape experienced a decrease in contact crimes.

“In the 2010/11 financial year, contact crime decreased by 6.9 percent and for the financial year under review, we recorded a decrease in 3.5 percent.” – Sapa

South African government claims crime is decreasing

South Africa’s murder rate has dropped by 3.1 percent in the past financial year, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced on Thursday.

Releasing the 2011/12 annual crime statistics at Parliament, Mthethwa said in 2004/5 more than 18,000 people were murdered — now down to less than 16,000.

There had been a 27.6 percent reduction over an eight year period –2004/5 to 2011/12, he said.

Sexual offences had dropped by 3.7 percent.

“We need to emphasise that, as government, we are, however, still concerned about the scourge of rape in our country.

“Rape decreased [by] 1.9 percent, but is [still] unacceptably high,” Mthethwa said.

On organised crime, Mthethwa said this category was showing a downward trend.

“The most highly organised forms of aggravated robberies — namely carjacking, cash-in-transit heists, and bank robbery — have experienced decreases,” he said.

Breaking down the figures, Mthethwa said carjacking decreased by 23.6 percent in 2010/11. A further decrease of 11.9 percent followed in 2011/12.

Cash-in-transit robberies were down by 37.5 percent, and bank robberies by 10.3 percent in 2011/12.

House robberies decrease by 1.9 percent, but business robberies continued to show an upward trend, jumping 7.5 percent.

Mthethwa noted an increase in small business robberies.

“We have now finalised a strategy to combat and reduce robberies at small business… we will be engaging relevant parties to ensure implementation of the strategy within next few weeks,” he said.

South African crime statistics to be released today

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa will release South Africa’s crime statistics for the 2011/2012 financial year in Parliament on Thursday.

Mthethwa will be joined by national police commissioner Riah Phiyega.

Last year’s crime statistics showed the country’s murder rate had dropped by 6.5 percent to 15,940 murders.

Attempted murder decreased by 12.2 percent, and sexual offences by three percent.

The number of rape cases reported rose from 55,097 to 56,272.

During the period under review, 94 police officers were killed in the line of duty. This was down from the previous year’s figure of 110 police officers killed.

Assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm dropped by 4.5 percent, while robbery with aggravating circumstances was down by 12 percent.

House robberies declined 10 percent to 16,889 cases during the 2010/11 financial year — the first decrease since 2004.

Car hijackings dropped by 23.6 percent to 10,700 cases, while truck hijackings decreased 29.2 percent with 413 reported cases.

Cash-in-transit crimes were down 18.7 percent and bank robberies declined by 58 percent.

The number of burglaries at residential premises dropped to 4.8 percent but there was an increase in non-residential robberies of 0.9 percent, particularly among small businesses like spaza shops, supermarkets and schools.

Cases of drunken driving or driving under the influence of drugs were up by 4.5 percent.

Commercial crime rose 2.8 percent. This was increasingly dominated by cyber-crime. – Sapa