The Gauteng crime statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year (January to March 2023) once again paint a sombre picture.
Crimes endangering ordinary people’s lives, in particular, have increased drastically. The report indicates that murder has increased with 10,9%, compared to the same period last year, and attempted murder rose with 6,9%. Assault rose with 9,7%, and robbery with 2,7%.
Cash in transit heists increased with a staggering 22,7%, burglaries at non-residential premises with 20,2%, livestock theft with 14%, and shoplifting with 22,3%.
These murder and assault figures do not only point an accusatory finger at the ANC for failing to protect lives, but the robbery, burglary, livestock theft and shoplifting statistics also point to the ANC in Gauteng’s poor economic policy, which is destroying job opportunities rather than helping to create them, causing people to resort to crime.
The influx of illegal immigrants searching for better economic prospects in Gauteng also puts enormous pressure on residents, which leads to growing conflict, competition for survival and, consequently, more crime.
It seems that there is some good news as the figures for sexual offences decreased, like rape with 4,4% and sexual assault with 15,9%, however, the figure for attempted sexual offences increased sharply with 28,1%. It is an alarming sign that women are still not safe in Gauteng.
In addition to that, the FF Plus is not convinced that these statistics are correct due to the under-reporting of crime by communities that no longer have any faith in the ANC-controlled Gauteng government or the police force.
Many people feel that there is no use in reporting crimes to the police, because they know that very few cases are solved and there are even fewer successful prosecutions.
The increase in communities’ own efforts to apprehend and punish suspected criminals is a strong indication of this alarming trend.
The constant inflow of cases, despite under-reporting, overwhelms the police force’s understaffed detective services and forensic departments seeing as the workload is still too high in relation to the number of available detectives and forensics experts. This imbalance results in
poorly prepared cases, which make it to court only to be thrown out on technical points.
The FF Plus is still grateful for every arrest, even though they may be few and far between. It is not good enough, though. The cold numbers on paper can never fully convey the pain caused by crime and its impact on communities.
The ANC has clearly lost the fight against crime in Gauteng and that is why it must be voted out of power during the 2024 elections.
By Kobus Hoffman
