Mpumalanga MEC for community safety, security and liaison Jackie Macie and acting provincial police commissioner Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi released the province’s fourth-quarter crime statistics today, June 8.

The statistics were presented during a media briefing at the SAPS provincial headquarters on Ferreira Street in Mbombela.

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The figures show increases in cases of rape, attempted murder and shoplifting. Rape cases increased by 5.7%, despite a decline in gender-based assault cases.

The Piet Retief and Ermelo police stations are among the country’s top 30 stations reporting the highest number of rape cases.

Murder and hijacking cases have decreased, while several other crime categories have also shown significant declines across the province.

The Calcutta policing area was identified as one of the province’s major hotspots for gun-related murders. Macie and Mkhwanazi acknowledged that eight people were gunned down in the Calcutta policing precinct during May alone.

“We may not reveal our strategies, but we are on the ground in various ways dealing with these murders,” said Mkhwanazi.

Meanwhile, Macie congratulated Mkhwanazi on the arrest of at least two suspects accused of killing three people in Marite on May 16.

Responding to concerns that the arrest of two suspects was insufficient given the prevalence of gun-related murders in the area, Macie described it as a step in the right direction.

“We have been infiltrated by criminals who kill people with guns in that area. We believe these are gangs fighting for territory that they want to control by force,” said Macie.

More details on the crime statistics will be published in Lowvelder on June 11.