Celani Sikhakhane
South African police stations have recorded over 10,800 rape cases over the past three months with almost 50% of the victims attacked and raped inside their homes.
In a staggering failure of crime prevention and public order policing, just about all serious crimes have increased with very few arrests and fewer convictions.
Police Minister General Bheki Cele released the quarterly crime stats on Friday saying women were being raped in public transport, public parks, taxis or trains and public beaches.
Murders increased by 22.2%, sexual offences 13.7%, attempted murder 24.8% and assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm by 18.1%.
Common assault and common robbery increased by 17.6% and 13% respectively.
Out of 30 police stations that recorded serious crimes in the first three months of the year, Cape Town central police station came top of the list with 2,653 serious crimes, an increase of 54.2% from 2021.
The statistics also revealed that 10,818 people were raped in the country and almost half of the cases, a staggering 4,653 rapes, took place at the home of the victim or the rapist.
“Liquor outlets and public transport such as buses, taxis or trains, were the third and fourth most likely places to be killed in South Africa,” Cele said.
He further said that the second most likely place for murder to occur is at the home of the victim or of the perpetrator.
About 1,350 people were killed in that environment.
Cele blamed alcohol abuse for some 1,290 cases of rape.
The Eastern Cape’s Lusikisiki police station, Inanda station in KwaZulu-Natal and Delft police station in the Western Cape recorded the highest incidents of rape for this quarter.
He said the crime stats showed that the lifting of strict lockdown regulations to Level One increased criminal activities.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on police Tina Joematt-Peterson has demanded that station commanders from the top five police stations who recorded a high number of serious crimes appear before parliament to account for the failure of crime prevention strategies in ther areas.
