Have we lost the battle against crime?
SA’s crime statistics are beyond bad. In fact, it’s time we recognise that we are in a war
There are few countries in which the release of the annual crime statistics is a major calendar event. But, then, there are few countries that boast of 20,336 murders in one year.Announcing the murder statistic — a record high — police minister Bheki Cele said the number is close to that of a war zone, with almost 57 people killed on an average day.To place SA’s murder rate in context, look at the past 10 years: no fewer than 175,364 people have died since 2008 — enough to fill FNB Stadium to near capacity twice over. That’s more people than have died in the Afghanistan war (about 144,000) or in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War 2 (about 135,000).So "war zone" does seem appropriate.The places where the battle has been most intense are also enumerated in the statistics. The police station where most murders were reported is Nyanga in the Western Cape, followed by Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal. The places gangs rule with the gun and knife, such as the Western Cape’s Philippi ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.