Photo: Government of South Africa A total of just over 2,09-million crimes were reported in the 2017/18 financial year, including 433,966 crimes dependent on police detection, like drug offences, and 1,662,815 so-called community reported crimes - anything from murder and rape to theft. Police heads are now on the block.
Murder is up. Rape is up. Sexual offences are up. Bank robberies are up. Down somewhat are assaults, as are break-ins and property crimes at residential homes and businesses. Police Minister Bheki Cele released crime statistics in Parliament on Tuesday that he said he'd rather not: "Fifty-seven a day, that's how (many) South Africans are murdered. It borders close to the war zone... "
The SAPS top brass from national HQ and the provinces were assembled in Parliament's Good Hope venue. Police Minister Bheki Cele limped in leaning on a walking stick. As protocol dictates, his were the first words to Parliament's police committee, on what has become a regular item on its calendar - the release of crime statistics for the previous financial year. On Tuesday that meant police reported...
