The minister, who vigorously supports the ban on alcohol sales during the lockdown and even beyond, said booze was a factor in some of these murders.
“In two of these incidents, the murder was a result of an argument over liquor. In one incident, the boyfriend refused to go out to buy liquor. In the other incident, the couple was under the influence of alcohol [when the female killed the male],” he said.
The latest figures revealed by Cele show a substantial decrease in domestic violence incidents reported nationally this year in comparison to the same period in 2019.
“The national picture reflects a decrease by 69.4% from 9,990 cases between March 29 and April 22 last year to 3,061 since the lockdown until April 20 2020, meaning a difference of 6,929 [cases]," he said.