Speaking Notes for Police Minister General Bheki Cele (MP) on the occasion of the release of quarter 4 crime statistics in Cape Town on 30 May 2023
Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale;
National Commissioner of the SAPS; General Fannie Masemola;
National Head; DPCI Dr Adv Lt Gen Godfrey Lebeya
Deputy National Commissioners;
Provincial Commissioners and Divisional Commissioners; Acting Secretary of Police; Mr Ramaru
Senior SAPS Officers;
Heads of Entities;
All Heads of Department; Members of the Media
Good Morning to you all.
Today we are releasing crime statistics reported to the South African Police Service and crimes detected by police officers in the first three months of this year.
In February, as the Police ministry and Police management we made a commitment to decisively deal with crime, following growing calls by communities for the SAPS to upscale their response to criminals.
Members of the media,
Interrogating the crime figures we are releasing today, it is unmistakable that the decision to upscale visible policing and disruptive operations from Thursdays to Mondays in all provinces; IS WORKING!
More boots on the ground are pushing back on criminality, through provincial intelligence led operations to take down individuals or criminal syndicates hell-bent on terrorizing communities.
These Criminal Lockdowns have been adopted by all Provincial Commissioners and are guided by crime intelligence and crime trends and analysis.
This aggressive form of policing is adapted from the Gauteng based Operation O kae Molao, which has been ongoing for five years
This follows, the need for the SAPS to upscale its responses to crime and to lockdown and squeeze the space for criminals.
Fellow South Africans,
Operation Okae Molao has been upgraded and nationalised into Operation Shanela.
Although it is in its early stages, Operation Shanela is gaining momentum and is being intensified in identified crime hot-spots in all provinces.
The Operation will and MUST remain stubborn in its pursuit for safer communities through
- Stop and searches;
- Roadblocks;
- Execution of search warrants;
Tracking and Tracing of wanted suspects and the removal of dangerous weapons and illegal firearms.
These operations will not be a one size fits all nor will they be box-ticking exercises.
Operation Shanela is being closely monitored and evaluated at a provincial and national level, for maximum effect.
Members of the media,
Each week this Ministry and SAPS management are receiving detailed reports on the outcomes of Operation Shanela.
The meetings also inform the redirecting of resources to where they are most needed.
Our crime figures show, no matter which part of the country you are in, crime escalates over the weekends.
The focus of Operation Shanela will not be limited to weekends, but certainly operations will be heightened during this time.
Fellow South Africans,
Yes we are responding to crime and the Criminal Lockdown is on!
Sithi; SHANELA Phoyisa!
SHANELA Mphakathi!
Phezu kwazo izigebengu Maphoyisa!
Balekani Zigebengu!
Let us ALL sweep away criminality.
Operation Shanela will mean come Thursday, all boots are on the ground throughout the weekend.
All Provincial and District Commissioners are expected lead from the front during these operations.
The ‘DO AS I SAY!’ attitude no longer has space in this organisation.
We want police management in all districts to adopt a ‘DO AS I DO!’ approach.
Station Commanders must work side by side with their members on the ground, as they sweep the streets clean from crime.
Women and Children (GBVF)
Ladies and Gentlemen
Between January and March this year, less children were killed in South Africa compared to the same period last year. One child murder is one too many and the South African Police Service must strive for zero tolerance on the murder of children.
Child murders decreased by almost 20% (19.9%) and a slight decrease was also noted in assault GBH cases of children.
Sadly and alarmingly, 29 more children were victims of attempted murder compared to the same comparative period last year.
360 more attempted murder cases were registered and investigated by the SAPS involving minors.
The women of this country continue to be stalked by violence, mainly at the hands of men.
A double digit percentage increase of 21.5% was recorded in attempted murder figures for the 4th Quarter .
This means there were 1 485 attempted murders of women in South Africa in the first three months of this year.
969 women were killed in the same period and over 15 thousand women were assaulted and the SAPS are investigating assault GBH cases.
Murder
Murder increased countrywide, by 3.4% between January and March 2023.
This is the lowest single digit decrease recorded, compared to the previous three quarters. Though it is a decrease, these are not just figures but human lives that should be protected at all costs.
This is why these figures prompt us as the police to double-up policing efforts to decrease contact crimes.
6 289 people were killed with either a firearm, knife, sharp and blunt instruments, stone and even bare hands, between January and March this year.
The majority of the killings took place in the Kwa Zulu-Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng provinces with arguments, vigilantism and robberies topping the motive list for murder.
The Kwa Zulu-Natal province also reported the highest figures of multiple-murder cases, followed by the Eastern Cape with 206 and 155 victims respectively.
The Free State, Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces recorded decreases in murder figures with both the Western Cape and Northern Cape reporting double digit decrease in murder cases.
While more work still needs to be done to combat contact crimes, the drop in murder figures is welcomed.
These crime figures also show that the Western Cape is turning the corner on contact crimes cases.
This is largely due to combined efforts by law enforcements targeting high crime areas such as the Cape Flats.
General Patekile, it is clear niya SHANELA in the Western Cape and these improvements must be commended and replicated.
To address murder and other contact crimes, R65 million has been allocated to Top 30 crime heavy stations to address murder and other contact crimes.
Over and above this additional funding, we are responding directly to calls by communities to increase the capability and training of the Tactical Response Teams (TRT).
The TRT are being deployed at stations and districts in identified high crime areas.
These highly trained and highly skilled officers will act as force multipliers at local level and assist in policing high-crime areas.
The SAPS is also enhancing specialised tracking teams who will be trained further at provincial and district level, to effectively track and apprehend offenders.
The tracking teams will be instrumental in the success of Operation Shanela, where emphasis is also placed on executing arrest warrants.
The improvement of police visibility will remain our strongest arsenal. R1,8 billion has been allocated for the procurement of police vehicles to improve police visibility.
The SAPS is also purchasing unmanned aerial vehicles or so called drones to better police from the sky.
More drone pilots are also being licensed and drone pilot interns are being recruited.
Body-worn cameras as well as shot spotters in high-density crime areas are being prioritised.
Yebo SIYASHANELA, whether on the streets on in the air.
The first three months of this year has recorded a stubborn increase in Cash in Transit (CIT) heists.
We are encouraged that the newly legislated surveillance devise technology, will make sweeping changes in this crime trend and other organised crimes.
The first three months of this year have recorded much welcomed decreases in TRIO crimes including truck-hijackings.
The same reporting period also saw improvements in recorded stock theft cases.
Fewer homes were burgled during this period and declines were also noted in robberies at non-residential buildings.
Rape
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Reported rape cases have shown decreases in the period of reporting, with six provinces reporting less rape cases.
Reported rape cases have shown decreases in the period of reporting, with six provinces reporting less rape cases.
The declines in rape cases are attributed to among other things, the SAPS up-scaling its operations to trace GBV perpetrators, arresting serial sex offenders and rapists and ongoing Men dialogues with communities.
It remains concerning that 10 512 people were raped in the first three months of this year.
4 768 of the rape incidents took place at the home of the victim or at the home of the perpetrator.
Maphoyisa, the declines and improvements in some crime categories are welcomed but should never be interpreted as victories.
Crime in the country is still high! Don’t stand down!
The country and communities you serve need you and you need them to fight and sweep away this common enemy of crime.
In conclusion,
This Ministry is again calling on a WHOLE GOVERNMENT WHOLE SOCIETY approach to fight crime.
We again call on government at all levels, to support policing efforts by addressing the country’s drivers of crime.
Without community participation, Police will never win the war against crime.
We call on community partnerships.
Demonstrative to our commitment to work hand in glove with communities, for the first time in the history of policing, this administration has realised the funding of Community Policing Forums (CPFs)
R70 million of the SAPS budget in this financial year will go to all provinces to support CPFs in terms of their resource requirements.
This funding will mean CPF members are not short of protective clothing, torches, communication material and other tools of trade to enable them to be fit for purpose.
Community Policing remains a vital part of the overall strategy to push back on crime.
We hope this funding, will not be abused but go a long way in supporting community structures against crime.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The SAPS, together with community structures- big or small- and the ordinary man on the street, we are gradually gaining back the ground from criminals.
With those words, let me hand over to Major General Thulare Sekhukhune who will give a Presentation which will reflect an overview of the 2022/2023 Quarter four crime statistics.
I thank you.
