Gauteng records worrying increases in violent crimes

Gauteng has recorded worrying increases in violent crimes between January and March in 2023.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela said overall crime in Gauteng has increased by 2 129 counts compared to the same time last year.

Mawela presented the fourth quarter (Q4) crime statistics for 2022/2023 to the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety on Wednesday.

Crime stats

Mawela said even though the overall percentage has not gone down, they have made significant progress.

“Gauteng has contributed 27.2% to the overall national crime statistics for Q4 of 2022/2023. It is worth noting that we have observed over the five-year period that this contribution is slightly reducing as in 2019 our contribution was 28,2% which reflects a decrease by 1%.”

Contact crime

Mawela said contact crime remains the biggest contributor. “Although we have seen a slight reduction in robberies with aggravating circumstances, more people are being robbed through online shopping and e-hailing services.”

Mawela said murder incidents involving multiple people has caused the murder rate to increase.

“It is worrying to see that some people have resorted to taking the law into their own hands, resulting in what we describe as vigilantism, mob justice and community retaliation.

“Another phenomenon, which continues to have a negative impact the murder rate in the province, is of multiple murders whereby in one incident – two or more people are killed,” Mawela said.

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Police killings

“We have six Saps members that have been killed during the quarter under review (five off duty and one on duty). This has serious negative impact considering the ratio of police versus the community they serve.”

Mawela added that in order to reduce the murder rate, police have to deal decisively with the proliferation of illegal firearms and to aggressively be on the search for dangerous weapons.

“We have managed to seize 1 663 firearms and 44 142 rounds of ammunition as well as 1 124 dangerous weapons through our targeted crime intelligence led operations, vehicle check points, and stop and searches. We have arrested 862 people for possession of unlicensed firearms.”

Other crimes

He said in Q4, police also confiscated 130 million millilitres of alcohol and closed 1 192 illegal liquor outlets.

Mawela said in Q4, the province also saw a reduction on rape, sexual assault and contact sexual offences with only the exception of attempted sexual offences.

The reduction in sexual offences may be attributed to Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences and Social Crime Prevention supported by Corporate Communication and Liaison conducting focused crime awareness campaigns.

The stats also show that kidnappings increased by 17.1% in Q4.

Crime prevention wardens

Mawela said the “arm of the law has been strengthened by Gauteng’s new 6 000 Crime Prevention Wardens with their high-powered vehicles”.

“They are a most welcomed force multiplier which has hit the ground running.

“We are also now closer to the actualisation of the Gauteng Integrated Operational Command Centre which will mobilise the whole of government to address the root causes of crime,” Mawela said.

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