The number of murders committed in 2016-17 increased 1.8% year on year‚ even though contact crimes as a broad category saw a drop of 2.4%. Murder was up to 19,016, rising by 343, according to the latest crimes for April 2016-March 2017, released on Tuesday. Attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstance also rose. But sexual offences and assault with grievous bodily harm posted a decrease. The stats were presented by Police Minister Fikile Mbalula in Parliament. His delegation conceded that it could not be said conclusively whether the decrease in sexual offences was as a result of increased police visibility and intervention. Mbalula admitted that instability in the leadership of the ministry’s agencies, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), contributed to various inefficiencies, which continued to trip up the police in their fight against crime. "We must admit to this committee, the question of [chopping and changing] police commissioners over many years h...
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