JOHANNESBURG – South African Police Minister Bheki Cele has attributed the recent decline in national crime rates to the effective combination of operational policing strategies and interventions. Speaking at the release of the Crime Stats Quarter 2 of 2023/2024, Cele highlighted that South Africa recorded a decrease in the murder rate for the second consecutive quarter, with a 3.1% decline from May to July and a 0.8% drop from July to September 2023. The report also showed a decrease in ‘trio crimes,’ including hijackings, business, and property robberies, which are known to instill fear among citizens.
According to South African Government News Agency, the reduction in the murder rate reflects the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) concerted efforts to combat crime through decisive police action and active community involvement. He emphasized the importance of strengthening critical units within the police service, including the overhaul of Crime Intelligence management and enhancing crime detection capabilities. Crime Intelligence capacity, particularly at the top 30 crime-heavy police stations, has been augmented with adequate resources, vehicles, and tools to gather intelligence more effectively.
Additionally, the SAPS units responsible for investigating organized crimes have been bolstered at both provincial and national levels to infiltrate criminal syndicates. Cele also noted the ongoing recruitment drive under Project 10,000, aimed at boosting police numbers at stations across all provinces, as a contributing factor to the decrease in murder figures.
Operation Shanela, a high-density national policing initiative, has also played a significant role in combatting crime. In its six months of operation, it has resulted in the arrest of over 226,000 suspects, including some of the country’s most wanted and dangerous criminals. The tracking and tracing of wanted suspects have been prioritized alongside everyday policing at the station level.
Despite the overall decline in the murder rate, the report revealed that 6,945 people, including 881 women and 293 children, were murdered in South Africa between July and September this year. Furthermore, 35 police officers and 19 law enforcement officers attached to various government levels and private security were killed during the same period.
Cele stated that most murders in South Africa occur during arguments, misunderstandings, and provocations in social settings, with firearms, knives, and sharp instruments being the most common murder weapons. Between July and September 2023, police operations removed 2,175 firearms from the streets.
The Minister explained that these statistics provide a sober analysis of the effectiveness of policing efforts to ensure the safety of South Africans and their properties. He called for a collaborative approach involving government, business, NGOs, civil society, and communities to combat crime, emphasizing the importance of resource redirection to areas of greatest need.