The police ministry revealed that more than 6 500 people were murdered in South Africa in the first three months of 2024. (carlballou/Getty Images)
- Crime statistics for two quarters were released by the police on Friday.
- The stats show that there were 12 734 murders in the first half of the year.
- Contact crimes increased in both quarters.
More than 6 500 people died in the first three months of the
year, according to crime statistics released on Friday, bringing the total
number of people killed between January and June this year to 12 734.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu released the quarterly crime
statistics for the last quarter of the previous financial year (January to
March) and the first quarter of this financial year (April to June) on Friday
in Cape Town.
He said the release of the statistics had been delayed due
to the national elections, which took place at the end of May.
The quarterly statistics showed that there were 6 536
murders between January and March this year, equating to an almost
4% year-on-year increase for the quarter.
News24 previously reported that between the start of April
and the end of June, the police recorded 6 198 murders across the country.
READ | Nearly 6 200 people murdered in South Africa between April and June
Between January and March, there were 13 446 sexual
offences recorded by the police, an increase of almost 2%. Contact crimes
(including murder, attempted murder and assault with intent to do grievous
bodily harm) overall increased by 4.6% for the three-month period.
In comparison, between April and June, there were 11 566
sexual offences recorded (a decrease of 0.4%). Contact crime increased by 2.6%
on the whole for the same period.
Six of the police stations that recorded the highest number
of murders between January and April are in the Western Cape.
A quarter of all the country’s murders took place in Gauteng
in the first three months of the year, with 22% taking place in KwaZulu-Natal,
and the Western Cape accounting for 17%.
The three provinces remained the top provinces for murder
reports between April and June.
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The Western Cape saw the highest increase in murders
consistently for the first half of the year. Between January and March, the
province saw a 27.5% increase in murders. Between April and June, there was a
21% increase.
There were 2 250 murders in the Western Cape for the
six-month period, 2 914 in KwaZulu-Natal and 2 994 in Gauteng.
During the course of the year, there have been 39 murders of
police officers, with 10 of them on duty at the time.
Mchunu said:
Crime is generally on the increase. Crimes that should worry us most are murder, rape, hijacking, kidnapping for ransom payments and extortion.
He described the crime statistics as telling a
“sobering story” and “a stark reminder of the urgent need for
action”.
