Crime stats: SAPS reports decrease in murder, sexual offences

This was revealed by the head of crime research at SAPS Norman Sekhukhune during a briefing before the parliament's police committee on Friday.

The data cover crimes that were reported in the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year, between April and June.

"We have recorded a decrease of murders of 196 counts, which is 3,1%, sexual offences a decrease of 239, that is a 2,0% decrease,” said Sekhukhune.

“Then we had an increase of 393 in attempted murder, assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm an increase of 2 892, common assault an increase of 839.”

A total of 6,228 people were killed during the same period.

All provinces reported a decrease in murder cases, excluding Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape.

Most murder cases were reported at the Inanda and Umlazi police stations in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Delfa, Gugulethu and Harare in the Western Cape.

There was a 2,8% decrease in reported rape cases and an increase of 3,8% in reported sexual assault cases.

During the same period, an increase of 94 attempted sexual offences cases was recorded.

On violence against women and children, the stats show that 40 more women and 50 more children were murdered between April and June.

The report shows that arguments, mob justice, robbery, gang-related, taxi-related, hijacking, and illegal mining are some of the incidents that lead to murder.

Places of occurrence for murder include public places, residents of the perpetrators/victim, modes of transport, liquor outlets, business premises, mining area, dumping sides, and educational institutions.

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