A slight decrease in criminal cases
The province has recorded a total of 101 116 criminal cases from April 2014 to March 2015, this shows a slight decrease of 404 cases as compared with the 101 520 crime stats recorded in the previous financial year.
MBOMBELA-The Witbank cluster contributed 20 per cent of all serious crimes, while the Middelburg and Mbombela clusters equally contributed 10 per cent each. These two clusters were closely followed by Secunda with nine, then KwaMhlanga with eight. Pienaar and Acornhoek also made it to the top five with seven per cent each.
Delivering the crime stats during a media briefing held in Mbombela, the MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Mr Vusi Shongwe, accompanied by the provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Adv Mark Magadlela and their entourages, says, “We should not be discouraged by these numbers, but we should rather work very hard and where necessary, review our strategies so that we can win the war on crime.
We should continue to mobilise for community participation in order to strengthen the fight against crime.”
He further called on the people of the province to work hand in glove with the police in the fight against criminal activities in the province. “The importance of community partnerships against crime can never be over emphasised, hence the department will also continue with various programmes to strengthen community participation in the fight against crime,” he said.
The stats showed that there were 5 656 cases of robbery with aggravating circumstances which shows a 7,7 per cent increase, while 831 cases of murder were reported which shows a 3,1 percentage
increase. Assault and assault with the intention of inflicting grievous bodily harm went up by by 0,6 per cent.
Shongwe further explained that mob justice contributed immensely to the increase in murder cases in the province with Embalenhle and Vosman police stations recording 7,9 per cent and six per cent,
respectively.
The province, however, prides itself in having reduced sexual offences with 8,5 per cent when compared to last year’s stats. “This is just the beginning as we have put in place strategies such as strengthening of existing campaigns on domestic violence and gender-based violence,” he says.
Cases of attempted murder also decreased by eight per cent while common robbery decreased by 1,4. Witbank, Pienaar, Acornhoek, KwaMhlanga and Middelburg the top five clusters with high cases of
contact crimes, which usually takes place among people who know one another. “This is the reason why it is difficult to police this type of crime. Alcohol and drug abuse seem to be contributing factors to the commission of most contact crimes, which mostly happens on weekends around midnight and they are linked to liquor outlets, hence
through the Overall Friday operations, we will continue to monitor liquor traders’ compliance. Those who are not complying with the law will have their establishments shut down,” Shongwe says.
A total of 5 839 cases of malicious damage to property were reported which constitutes to 2,2 per cent increase, while 291 cases of arson were recorded which also shows a hike of 11,9 per cent compared to the previous year.
“Cash-in-transit increased by 55,6 per cent, while car hijacking hiked by 41,8. Truck hijackings were decreased by 21,3 per cent,” he said. Cases of theft out of motor vehicles also increased by 4,2 per cent and stock theft went up by 0,5 per cent. Shongwe added that the province had also experienced an increase in cases of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
