Media Statement Presented by MEC Vusi
Shongwe on the Release of Mpumalanga
Crime Statistics for 2010/ 2011
Financial Year.
Media Statement
12 September 2011 Mpumalanga
Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant
General Thulani Ntobela,
Crime Prevention and Community Police
Relations Chief Director Nontsundu
Ndonga
SAPS top management
Department’s top management
Members of the media
Two weeks ago during the MEC’s
Excellence Awards organized to honour
best police stations in the province, I
commended the police for safe guarding
the people of the province and ensuring
that all people are and feel safe and
secured.
I did not know that the Minister for
Police, Honourable Nathi Mthethwa was
going to confirm my statement last
Thursday by demonstrating through
audited statistics that police have
worked very hard to reduce criminality
in the province.
It is on that positive note that the
Department of Safety, Security and
Liaison (DSSL) and the South African
Police Service (SAPS) Management in
Mpumalanga welcome the Crime Statistics
for the financial year 2010/2011 which
shows that most of the crime types in
various categories have decreased.
Although the numbers are still high
because any crime is a concern to us, it
is somewhat encouraging that the
province is indeed on its way to become
one of the safest places in the country.
The continued decline of crime in
general could be attributed to among
others; increased police visibility that
came with the establishment of Tactical
Response Team (TRT), community
participation in crime prevention,
commitment of SAPS management and the
existence of political will to clamp
down criminality.
We will indeed squeeze crime and
criminals to zero if we continue
improving on these notable successes.
During 2010/2011 a total 121 493 of
serious crime cases were registered in
the province and all seven categories of
contact crime have shown a decrease.
This includes murder, attempted murder,
assault with intent to inflict grievous
bodily harm, common assault, robbery
with aggravating circumstances and
common robbery.
Notably, the murder rate has decreased
by 17.7%. Attempted murder went down by
33.2 %; robbery with aggravating
circumstances and common robbery have
decreased by 16.3% and 10.9%
respectively.
Other crime types in this category that
have not decreased significantly are
sexual offences which have only gone
down by 3.8 % and it means that more
work still needs to be done to intensify
the war against this type of crimes as
it mainly affects women and children.
Arson has gone down by 29.6% and
malicious damage to property has also
decreased by 12.5%.
The police, working together with
community members have inflicted a dent
on property related crimes. Burglary at
non residential premises has gone down
by 5.8% while burglary at residential
properties has decreased by 6.7%.
We have noted that theft out of or from
motor vehicles has increased by 3.9%
while stock theft has decreased
convincingly by 12.9%.
There has been a decrease on the illegal
possession of firearms and ammunitions
by 12.8%, which means that patrols and
other police operations need to be
intensified in order to declare all our
areas in the province as illegal
firearm-free zones. These category of
crimes include drug related crimes and
driving under the influence of alcohol
or drugs, which are all classified under
crimes dependent on police for
detection.
Drug related crimes have increased by
55.1 % while incidences of driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs have
increased by 26.9%. This is an
indication that police, and the tip-offs
by community members played a
significant role in ensuring that people
who were involved in these crimes were
detected and arrested.
Other serious crimes that included all
theft not mentioned elsewhere have
increased by 1.3% while commercial crime
and shoplifting have decreased by 1.8%
and 8.5% respectively.
Cash in transit has decreased
significantly by 63.2% in the category
of robbery with aggravated
circumstances. Also cases of bank
robbery has taken a major nose-dive by
80.0%, meaning that there is a major
blow on bank robbery. Police should also
be commended for the major decreases in
crimes forming part of aggravated
robbery.
Truck hijacking and carjacking have also
decreased by 17.3% and 39.8%
respectively. In the same category,
robbery at residential premises has
decreased by 19.6% while robbery at non
residential premises has increased by
13.0%.
The top police precincts that recorded
the highest incidences of crime on
different aggravated robbery are Witbank
(street and business robbery),
KaNyamazane (car-jacking and house
robbery), and Delmas (truck-jacking).
Alcohol misuse is a major generator for
at least 10% of sexual offences. This
calls for more action directed at liquor
outlets, ensuring that they close at
specified time, alcohol is not sold to
minors, the owners posses the required
documentation and that patrons do not
visit the liquor establishments while
armed.
As a department, we commend Lieutenant
General Thulani Ntobela, his Major
Generals and the management of SAPS in
ensuring that incidences of crime are
brought down in Mpumalanga.
I want to assure the men and women in
blue that as long as they are determined
to fight crime in the province, they
have my support and I will be in the
trenches with them raiding taverns,
during road blocks and also assisting
them to keep Mpumalanga safe and
secured.
Thank you
Enquiries : Joseph Mabuza
Tel : (013) 766 4055
Cell : 082 678 1450
Enquiries : Lindela Mashigo
Tel : (013) 762 4308
Cell : 082 778 4310
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