Cele: I will remain vocal about booze and its impact on crime
Police Minister Bheki Cele has again reiterated the role played by alcohol in crime, during the release of the latest crime statistics.
Cele announced the second-quarter crime statistics in Pretoria on Friday.
Cele said that the decrease across different crimes was largely due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
Although there has a been decrease in some serious crimes, Cele said the period was not without its problems.
Cele said he will remain critical and vocal about the negative effect of alcohol, in spite of the fact that the view is unpopular in some quarters of society.
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"But these crime statistics that we are releasing today continue to vindicate our actions as the SAPS, to clamp down on illegal alcohol trading.
"Liquor was also involved in 829 assault GBH cases and 747 rape cases. 179 attempts of murder were alcohol induced," he continued.
"Over a thousand incidences of murder, attempted murder, rape and assault took place at in or outside liquor outlets such as bars, taverns, shebeens and nightclubs.
"These figures make it impossible to deny the true effects of alcohol abuse," Cele said.
Cele also noted that July and August were dangerous months for women, with Kwa-Zulu Natal being the rape capital.
"8 922 cases of rape were reported at this time. A sample of 5 168 rape dockets revealed that 3 578 persons were raped in their homes or at the home of their perpetrators.
"Majority of those who were raped were women," Cele noted.
BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF THE STATS:
Murder - 6.2%
Sexual Offences - 16.8%
Attempted Murder + 1,8%
Assault to do grievous bodily harm - 12.4%
Common Assault - 5.5%
Common Robbery - 25.3%
Robbery with aggravating circumstances - 13.0%
All Sexual Offences decreased by 16.8%
Rape - 18.8%
Sexual Assault - 10.5%
Attempted Sexual Offences - 9.4%
Contact Sexual Offences + 3.2%
Carjacking - 1.6%
Robbery at Residential Premises + 8.5%
Robbery at Non-Residential Premises - 8.5%
Robbery of Cash-In-Transit + 60.0%
Bank Robbery one case
Truck hijacking + 31.7%
Contact-Related Crimes decreased by 3.7%
Arson - 6.7%
Malicious damage to property - 3.6%
All Property-Related Crimes decreased 18.7%
Burglary at non-residential premises - 6.0%
Burglary at residential premises - 21.3%
Theft of motor vehicle and motor cycle - 17.2%
Theft out or from motor vehicle - 25.3%
Stock Theft - 6.8%