SAFTU disgusted at the levels of crimes in our society
3 August 2020
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) note with horror the crime statistics released by the Minister of Police, Mr Bhekokwakhe Cele accounting for the period between April 2019 and March 2020.
These crime statistics paid a clear picture that our society is losing the war against criminality, just as we are losing the war against poverty, unemployment and inequality. It is also evident that our justice system has become dysfunctional as it does not act as a deterrent. In fact we have all the important pillars of a normal society dysfunctional – public schools, public healthcare, and criminal justice system.
Criminals, including rapists, know that the chances of them being arrested, much less convicted, are very slim. The last chance we checked from the police reports in parliament, the chances of being arrested for crime was 48% and the conviction rate was down to 15% and scandalously around 11% for rape and other sexual assault crimes.
The latest statistics show that murder has increased by 1.4% to 21 325 in 2019-20. This amounts to nearly 60 murders on an average day. Only in a war riven-country are there such horrific counts.