Africa-Press – South-Africa. Cape Town – Political parties have called on the police to get tough on criminals as murders shot up and rape cases continue to be high.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on police Tina Joemat-Pettersson, the ANC MP, said the fact that there were 6 859 murders in three months, this was an increase of 8.9% and it showed the government was not on top of the situation.
She said while they welcomed the drop in rape cases the fact that there were over 11 000 rape cases was alarming.
She said the fact that the Gender-Based Violence laws would now allow for DNA samples to be taken on anyone convicted of Schedule 8 offences would strengthen the fight against GBV.
But the DA called for Police Minister Bheki Cele’s head saying he had failed in his duties.
DA MP Okkie Terblanche said it was wrong that Cele and his commissioner Khehla Sitole were on each other’s throats while crime was affecting many people.
He also said the fact that the budget of the police faces massive cuts over the next three years, did not bode well for the country.
Terblanche also said that there were 6 859 people who were killed between October and December, showing crime was out of control and this was a huge increase from the previous quarter.
“From October to December 2021, 11 315 rapes were reported, while 902 women were murdered, 1 204 were nearly killed, and 15 692 were assaulted. That same period saw 352 child murders, 394 attempted murders, and 2 048 children were assaulted,” said Terblanche.
Good Party secretary-general Brett Herron said it was shocking that there were so many murders in three months.
He said they welcomed the fact that government would hire 12 000 more police officers.
“Even though there were some marginal declines in some crime categories, the overall crime statistics still show a country gripped by an extremely high level of crime and a population who face daily risks to their lives and persons. Even though there was an overall decrease in contact crime there was a 9% increase in the murder – with 6859 murders. The scourge of Gender Based Violence continues with a shocking 11 315 rapes reported between October and December 2021. Nearly half of those rapes took place in the victims’ homes, meaning no place is really a safe place,” said Herron.
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