In a concerning revelation, official police statistics published on Tuesday indicate that South Africa experienced nearly three murders every hour during the first quarter of the year, reflecting an alarming rise in record crime within the country.
Police Minister Bheki Cele, during a live televised press conference held every three months, painted a distressing picture of the security situation in one of the world’s most dangerous nations.
Comparing the figures with the same period last year, the number of murders escalated by 3.4%, reaching a total of 6,289 cases between January and March.
However, Mr. Cele did note a glimmer of hope amidst the grim statistics, stating, “Fewer children were killed than last year.”
Child murders witnessed a significant decline of 20%, prompting the minister to assert, “We are gradually making up ground on the criminals.”
Global comparisons shed light on the severity of the situation in South Africa.
The country’s homicide rate stands at an average of ten per 100,000 inhabitants, a stark contrast to Japan’s near-zero rate and France’s rate of one, as reported by the World Bank.
South Africa, often referred to as the “epicenter of rape” due to the alarmingly high number of reported cases, saw a decrease in reported incidents during the first three months of the year.
More specifically, there was a 2.8% drop in reported cases compared to the same period last year, with over 10,500 cases opened.
Unfortunately, not all crime categories witnessed a decline.
Cash-in-transit attacks experienced a staggering increase of over 20%, while thefts from residences rose by almost 6%, further exacerbating concerns about the overall security situation in the country.
