THE CRIME holiday of hard lockdown is over and criminals have been busy making up for lost time, with cash-in-transit heists, truck hijackings, and home robberies on the increase in the Western Cape.
Nationally, 5 107 people were murdered in July, August, and September this year, according to the second quarter Crime Statistics released by Police Minister Bheki Cele yesterday.
This is a sharp increase from the “crime holiday” that Cele described during the hard lockdown – but still 339 fewer murders than in the same period last year.
In the Western Cape, murder and s.e.xual offences decreased, while attempted s.e.xual offences rose by 81%. The province also saw the highest number of domestic-related murders, and the second-highest number of domestic rapes.
Premier Alan Winde said: “The Western Cape recorded the second-largest percentage decrease (16.7%) in the country for serious crimes including contact crimes. The province also reported a slight decrease in the number of murders when compared to the same quarter last year, and an 11% decrease in total s.e.xual offences, despite the hard lockdown having been lifted and alcohol sales having resumed.
“These reductions notwithstanding; any life lost, or sexual assault is one too many. We are also concerned that the province has the highest number of domestic murders for the quarter, which reflects the scourge of domestic and gender-based violence in our society.”
Nationally, rape decreased by almost 19% and s.e.xual assault by 10.5%.
This decrease sounds good on paper, but it isn’t a true reflection of what’s really going on inside people’s homes, said Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali.
“It isn’t reflective of the reality of the s.e.xual offences that are taking place. In reality, people did not actually report cases, specifically around rape in particular.”
Monakali said that gender-based violence goes hand in hand with other types of violent crime.
“Where there’s violence, women and children suffer the brunt of that violent society, and violence in the Western Cape has always been particularly high.
“In the Western Cape we have to take into consideration the lack of police resources, particularly in Cape Flats regions. Police can’t adequately deal with the crimes that are taking place, especially within households.”
Cele said the increase of home invasions, cash-in-transit heists as well as truck hijackings are evidence of criminals trying to pad their bottom line after the losses of lockdown. The Western Cape was particularly badly hit by these, with 75% more cash-in-transit heists this quarter compared to last year and a 33% increase in truck hijackings, both above the national average increases – although Cele said police had recently made a significant arrest in a truck hijacking ring.
Residential robberies in the province also increased, but on par with the national increase.
“As we approach the festive season, criminals are trying to make up for the time lost during the ‘crime holiday’ experienced in the first quarter of the financial year,” Cele said.
“This is demonstrated by the increase in the country’s most feared crimes, which are residential robberies. While many citizens are still working from home due to the Nationwide Lockdown, incidents of home invasions have increased by 8,5%.”
Khayelitsha police station reported the second-highest number of home robberies in the country, with 65 robberies in the past three months compared to 47 for the same period last year.
Cele said seeing the numbers of crime victims in SA is always shocking.
“We’re always surprised when in three months, 5 000 people died. Those figures will forever surprise you and urge you to do better work going forward.”
He said that the fact that perpetrators are mostly known to the victims is also incomprehensible.
“Out of 21 000 s.e.xual offences, 18 000 of them happened in the houses known to the victim, which means it’s boyfriends, husbands, fathers, uncles. You just wonder why those people will hurt people that they’re supposed to protect.”
Cele stuck to his guns about alcohol being a key ingredient in the country’s crime incidence.
“Alcohol is one of the biggest generators of violent crime, crime against women and the crime of murder,” he said. “I believe that better usage of alcohol will result in a safer South Africa. If we’re going to deal with crime, we’ll have to deal with alcohol.”
-Weekend Argus
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