Police Minister General Bheki Cele has welcomed the decrease in serious and violent crimes, attributing it to unavailability of alcohol during the lockdown.
Since the lockdown, the government prohibited the sale and movement of liquor to try to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Comparing the first week of the lockdown to the same period in 2019, Minister Bheki Cele confirmed that:
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– Murder cases had dropped from 326 to 94;
– Rape cases dropped from 699 to 101;
– Cases of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm dropped from 2 673 to 456; and
– Trio crimes, such as car and truck hijackings, business and house robberies, dropped from 8 853 to 2 098.
In relation to gender-based violence, Cele confirmed that the number of complaints remained high and therefore concerning.
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“Over 2 300 complaints have been registered since the beginning of the lockdown on 27 March until 31 March and from these, 148 suspects were charged, ” he said.
The 2019-2020 National Crime Statistics will be made available later this year.
Acting spokesperson for the ministry of police, Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said the past week was generally characterised by long queues at grocery stores and social grant paypoints.
“This week, Minister Cele anticipates improved adherence to the regulations, particularly in relation to restriction of movement of persons and traffic on the roads,” she said.
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In the Pretoria CBD, 16 taxis were impounded by the Tshwane metro police for operating outside the hours stipulated in the Covid-19 lockdown rules.
She said that the police, metro police together with SANDF and other law enforcement agencies will remain on high alert to ensure maximum adherence to the lockdown regulations.
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