South Africa murder rate reflective of a war zone

South Africa murder rate reflective of a war zone
Murder stats South Africa

Pretoria – The murder rate in South Africa is reflective of a “war zone”, Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler Barnard said on Friday following the release of the 2013/2014 crime statistics.

“We have 47 murders a day. That sort of figure is what one would expect in a war zone.”

Earlier, national police commissioner Riah Phiyega announced that there had been 800 more murders since the 2012/2013 statistics.

Kohler-Barnard said real-time crime statistics needed to be available at every police station and not just as an announcement once a year.

“What help is it to a home-owner to find out now that 18 months ago there was a massive increase in carjackings or house robberies in his area?”

Having real time statistics was the only way people could protect themselves, Kohler-Barnard said.

“These statistics should be a wake-up for all South Africans. For the first time in democracy we’ve had two consecutive years where murder has increased,” Gareth Newham, head of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) governance, crime and justice division, told reporters.

“It’s no longer a slight hike… I don’t believe the police can handle it on its own.”

Meanwhile, ISS senior researcher Dr Chandre Gould said the anomalies in the 2013/2014 crime statistics were concerning.

“The most serious categories of violent crimes have increased. Yet, curiously, cases of common and aggravated assault are down,” she said.

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South Africa Today – South Africa News