Crime in SA at 15-year low: index

Friday, 01 November 2013
Crime in South Africa is at its lowest level in 15 years, having dropped by 38% since its peak in the 2002/03 financial year, according to the latest crime index from global analytics company IHS.

"The decline in overall crime in South Africa has been echoed in both indices, reporting a steady decline since 2002," IHS said in its report, released on Wednesday. The report is divided into a violent crime index and a property crime index.

"Violent crime is at the lowest level seen in a decade, declining some 40% between 2002 and 2013. Property crime experienced a decrease of 24% over the same period," IHS said, adding: "The declining crime rates reflect the overall improvement of conditions in South Africa."

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the findings vindicated the government's national crime statistics, which were released in September.

While many local analysts were sceptical in their analysis of the statistics, it was gratifying that an internationally recognised, credible and globally respected institution had now affirmed the fact that crime was decreasing in South Africa, the minister said.

"Since 1994, we have been making steady progress in the fight against crime. This period has been characterised by growing unity in action against crime, a period focused on improving life conditions for all."

South Africa has adopted a multi-pronged approach in the fight against crime, involving partnerships with communities, business, civic organisations and labour movements.

"For this reason, almost on a weekly basis as the police leadership, we are out there meeting with communities, not because there are problems but as part of ensuring that we entrench this community-policing philosophy," Mthethwa said.

"Such community interactions also help us to tap into the collective wisdom of citizens in order to enhance existing crime prevention and combating programmes, whilst jointly seeking solutions around crime."

SA - the Good News

What a crock..............

I can only imagine this is based on police stats??

one thing is certain Cash In Transit is down or else it no longer gets reported

That is F$&@ing unbelievable WTF what a load of crap. If only the NHA could find spin doctors like that or bullshitters. They and the Govt all went to the same school. Clowns. Oops sorry not allowed to insult the clowns!

BWAHAHAHAHAA

Very sadly , 2 weeks ago Had a good friend, tied and BRUTALLY murdered while his partner was forced to watch .

gg Wrote:

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> Very sadly , 2 weeks ago Had a good friend, tied
> and BRUTALLY murdered while his partner was
> forced to watch .


that is horrible

I heard that these idiots used the incorrect figures....so there percentages all look good....

mr hawaii Wrote:

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> gg Wrote:
>

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> > Very sadly , 2 weeks ago Had a good friend,
> tied
> > and BRUTALLY murdered while his partner was
> > forced to watch .
>
>
> that is horrible

The 4 suspects where in court yesterday , bail hearing postponed again . They all have previous criminal records and some were out on bail . .

@Pirho..:

The truth is....

The Institute for Security Studies accused the police on Wednesday of miscalculating crime levels and downplaying the rate of violent crime. "The statistics presented by the police underplay the shocking reality of crime, especially the most traumatising acts of crimes," said ISS governance, crime and justice division head Gareth Newham. "People are not safe in the streets, in their homes, cars and their businesses," he said.

However, the police dismissed the claim and said the ISS's argument was flawed. "We stand by our statistics entirely," spokesman Zweli Mnisi said. The ISS claimed the police had used population estimates calculated by Statistics SA in 2001, which expected the population to be 50.6 million in 2011, instead of using data from the 2011 census, which showed there were 52.3 million people in South Africa.

By not updating the population, the police had understated the increase in serious and violent crimes, Newham said. Crimes such as murders were calculated against a population of 100,000. The crime statistics released in September indicated that the murder rate was 0.6 percent, while the corrected figure was 2.6 percent. "Sexual offences according to the police went down to 0.4 percent. The corrected calculation places such crimes at 1.5 percent."

Attempted murder went up to 8.7 percent, instead of the 6.5 percent presented by the police. The ISS said it had called on Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate why the error occured. Mnisi said on Wednesday that the police rejected this call. "The ISS is not the only crime analysing institute in the country. They are not the alpha and omega. There is a pool of various analysts who continue to give sound analyses.

"This call for a independent inquiry is not new.... What we have seen of late from ISS are rhetorical statements which tend to be political in nature and we believe this is not the space they should be occupying." He said the police did not "thumb-suck" the population growth and ratio, because Statistics SA's census had informed its calculation of all crime categories.

National police commissioner Riah Phiyega's spokesman Lt-Gen Solomon Makgale described the ISS's argument as "not true at all". "This false statement has also been interpreted by certain media houses to mean that crime statistics of the past two financial years cannot be trusted. Such interpretation is equally untrue," he said in a statement.

"The raw data, which is actual cases reported, is not based on population figures. Therefore one cannot conclude that the overall crime statistics should not be trusted." He said the ISS's argument served only to confuse people. "The 2011/12 crime ratios were based on a population estimate of 50.6 million. Stats SA released the 2011 census results in October 2012. It showed the actual population of 2011 as 51.7 million," he said.

"Based on the formula used by Stats SA, the restated, estimated population for 2011 was shown to be 51.6 million. The argument is that we should have used these restated, estimated figures." He said this would have required the police to adjust the 2011/12 crime ratios and, based on their approach, this was not necessary. The police would apply the new population estimates, based on the 2011 census results, only from the 2012/13 financial period onwards, Makgale said. SAPA

Johannesburg - Gauteng community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko was caught in a confrontation with the biological father of a teenager who was found dead in Eldorado Park, south of Johannesburg, The Star reported on Thursday.

Sandy Maharla, 18, was last seen on Friday when her mother sent her to the shops. Her remains were found on Sunday morning.

Marvin Steenkamp arrived at the family's home as Mazibuko, who was visiting the family, was about to leave.

Steenkamp said he worked for the National Intelligence Agency and wanted to know what was going on, shouting he was the father.

A confrontation between the two ensued and Mazibuko accused him of harassment.

"You are out of order. As much as you are the biological father you have no right to harass the family and the police," Mazibuko reportedly said.

He responded: "Yes I am out of order. You come here and make allegations against me. Did I murder my child? Don't talk nonsense with me."

The two pointed fingers at each other and the argument heated up. Some people tried to pull Mazibuko away.

Another relative, Jocelyn Balston joined in and defended Steenkamp, reportedly swearing at Mazibuko then chasing everyone out.

Mazibuko said she was going to get a restraining order against Steenkamp to ensure that he does not interfere with the investigation.

A man accused of the murder was handed to the police on Monday but will be released due to a lack of evidence.

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Strange how the ANC are now showing sympathy to communities... you wouldn't say there's elections next year...()

First Zuma and now this MEC women... (td)