The police ministry published the crime statistics for the second quarter (July to September 2023), on Friday, which painted a grim picture of safety in South Africa.
2023 crime statistics for July-Sept 2023 reveal grim picture of safety in South Africa
There were 6 945 murders, equating to 77 per day, and 13 090 sexual offences reported during this period. Additionally, the period saw 42 297 assault GBH cases, 10 516 rape cases, and 6 911 attempted murders.
Comparing these figures with the first quarter (April-June 2023), there was a staggering 11.5% increase in murder cases (up 717 from 6 228).
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More concerning, sexual offences went up 12.6% (up 1 474 from 11 616) between July and September 2023, highlighting the significant challenge police face in curbing violence against women.
Attempted murders saw a notable increase, rising 15.7% (up 942 from 5 969), and assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm also increased 12.8%% (up 4 806 from 37,491).
Reacting to the quarterly figures, Action Society‘s Ian Cameron likened the crime statistics to “evidence of a bloodbath.”
“27017 human-beings have been murdered in South Africa over the last year (Oct’22-Sept’23)… [Bheki] Cele blames South Africans mental issues,” Cameron posted.
Here’s a look at the 12-month trend (October 2022 – September 2023) of contact crimes in South Africa:
- Murder – 27 017 (2 251 per month, 75 per day, 3.13 per hour)
- Attempted murder– 26 088 (2 174 per month, 72 per day, 3.02 per hour)
- Rape – 42 699 (3 558 per month, 119 per day, 4.94 per hour)
- Sexual offences – 53 456 (4 455 per month, 148 per day, 6.19 per hour)
- Assault GBH – 173 460 (14 455 per month, 482 per day, 20.08 per hour)
The ministry was still delivering the statistics report when this article was published.