Sunday Tribune

O Crime stats a reflection of people’s real-life experiences

SHARON HOOSEN Hoosen is a KZN DA MPL, and party provincial spokesperson on Community Safety and Transport

THE release of Kwazulu-natal’s (KZN) crime statistics for the period July to September 2022, shows a province under siege. This, as criminals have more firepower than the SAPS and the government pays lip-service to the devastating effect crime is having on our people.

The latest provincial information, released last week, shows an increase in serious crime across the board and paints an extremely grim picture of runaway lawlessness in KZN. According to the figures, KZN remains the province with the highest number of murder cases, with an increase of 6.5% and 1 857 reported cases. Attempted murder is also up, with 1 614 cases – an increase of 8.5%. The province is also second only to Gauteng when it comes to reported rapes, with an increase of 9.9% and a staggering 2045 incidents within the three-month period.

Other serious crime increases include;

¡ A staggering 96.1% rise in attempted

sexual offences with 100 cases

¡ An equally alarming 92.9% increase

in kidnapping, with 713 cases

¡ A 16.4% hike in contact crime with

27 458 cases

¡ A 17.3% increase in assault with

6273 cases

¡ A 9.8% increase in sexual offences

with 2 458 cases;

¡ A 33% jump in robbery, with four KZN communities ranked among the worst in the country for residential robberies and

¡ A rise of 26.8% for carjacking and 77.8% for truck hijackings. Regrettably, these are not just figures – they reflect the real-life experiences of KZN’S people. They also point directly to a government that does not value the personal safety of its people.

“Keep the Energy” is an Instagram group followed by more than 107000 people which highlights and profiles women and children who have been raped and murdered in our country. Some of the horror stories for November alone, include:

¡ On November 3, 17-year-old Unako was shot dead on her birthday by unknown gunmen while walking home from her party with her friends. To date, no one has been arrested.

¡ On November 7, 25-year-old Sasha Lee Shah from Durban was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. They dated for 12 years. He shot her and then turned the gun on himself at Gateway shopping centre.

¡ On November 8, Bokgabo a 4-yearold little girl was murdered by a 30-year-old man. She went missing on October 9 and her body was cut into pieces and scattered in a field. The man – who was arrested for raping a 9-year-old in November 2021 – has now been charged with kidnapping, rape, murder, defeating the ends of justice and violating a corpse. Bokgabo’s family had to bury what was found of her, as her murderer would not tell them where the rest of her body was.

¡ On November 10, it was reported that on October 14, Sthembile Ngobese, a 24-year-old pregnant woman, and an 18-year-old woman, Nonjabulo Majozi, were murdered. They were allegedly killed by a policeman who

was romantically linked to both. He is said to have shot Sthembile first, while Nonjabulo tried to run away. He allegedly shot her outside and dragged her body back into the house and tried to create a “fake” crime scene. The women were shot in the head and were declared dead by paramedics. The alleged perpetrator has been arrested; and, ¡ Just a few days ago, Lekesha Marthinus, an 18-year-old mother to an 8-month-old, got into an argument with her boyfriend, who

then threw a beer bottle at her head. She was rushed to hospital, but declared dead on arrival.

These are just a few cases that appear on the page. But what becomes of those women, who are constantly traumatised, not knowing whether they will live to see another day? What happens to those who are fearful of approaching law enforcement because of SAPS’S track record when it comes to dealing with rape, domestic violence or any form of abuse. What becomes of those children who are happily playing

in their communities, yet are being preyed on by men who want to hurt them? The worst part is that many of these men have already committed crimes before and got away with them – as in the case of Bokgabo. Had that man been arrested and imprisoned the first time round, this family would still have their baby, and would not have had to endure burying her.

These are the real-life experiences of ordinary South Africans under an ANC government. Yet it appears that the ANC – apart from expressing shock and condemnation – has no plan, and, therefore, is complicit in crimes against women and children.

The release of crime stats has become a cue for the government to make more elaborate promises, which it never fulfils. This, while almost 2 000 people were murdered during the past three months alone, and while KZN SAPS stations feature among the top group in the country for murder cases reported. Then there are the lies that this Anc-run government expects communities to believe. That it is safe for them to walk around their neighbourhoods; that SAPS facilities and services are being improved and – the biggest one of them all – that justice will be served when it comes to those who commit crime.

The question is: How does it intend doing this when SAPS officers lack capacity, are under-resourced, undertrained, underpaid and have to deal with numerous infrastructure challenges? If the tide is to be turned against crime, this is where KZN’S political leadership need to focus first.

The DA has offered numerous solutions to crime in KZN, but there is a clear lack of political will to implement them. Until there is political change, KZN’S people will continue to live under siege. In just over a year, the citizens of our province will have the opportunity to break free of an ANC government more interested in self-promotion than protecting them. Only then will our communities become safer.

OPINION

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2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://sundaytribune.pressreader.com/article/281715503628094

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