Alarming increase in Gauteng crime stats

27 February 2021

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is concerned about the alarming increase in the Gauteng crime statistics for the 2020/21 financial year.

According to the crime statistics, there has been an overwhelming increase in various crimes across the province compared to the previous financial year. 

Cash in transit robberies have increased by 106,7% from 15 cases in the 2019/20 financial year to 31 cases in 2020/21 financial year, while sexual offences detected as a result of police action have also increased by 40,5% from 220 cases in the 2019/20 financial year to 309 cases in the 2020/21 financial year.

Truck hijacking has increased by 31,8% from 173 cases in the previous year to 228 cases in the 2020/21 financial year. Contact sexual offences have also seen a rise of 23,3% from 73 cases in the 2019/20 financial year to 90 cases in the 2020/21 financial year.

Furthermore, there has been an increase in the following crimes in Gauteng; murder has risen by 7,5%, with sexual offences increased by 6,0%, and attempted murder by 3,8%, while assault with intention to inflict grievous bodily harm increased by 4,4%.

There has also been a shocking increase in the number of sexual offences compared to the previous financial year; sexual assault has increased by 9,6%, attempted sexual offences increased by 7,2% while rape has increased by 4,6%.

Commercial crime has increased by 7,9%, stock-theft by 1,9% and arson by 1,7% compared to the previous financial year.

These various crime statistics are worrying and clearly indicate that Gauteng lacks adequate policing putting the lives of residents at serious risk.

It is deeply concerning that sexual cases have increased which demonstrates that government’s current interventions are not yielding positive results in terms of fighting and preventing sexually-related crimes. 

Most notable, the sexual offences detected as a result of police action has also increased, yet the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is battling to investigate and finalise police brutality cases as only 5 out of 147 of them have been resolved. This also means that it will take years for the IPID to finalise these sexual offences.

Our police are ill-equipped, untrained, and under-resourced to adequately ensure that law and order is maintained in our communities. 1407 police vehicles were out of service in Gauteng last year, while only 4374 vehicles remained operational.

The DA will be tabling questions to the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to determine what measures are being put in place to effectively fight crime in the province.

Issued by Michael Shackleton, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety, 27 February 2021