‘We're not safe with Bheki Cele at the helm’ — Outrage over latest crime stats

South Africans have weighed in on the latest crime statistics, with some claiming the country is “transforming into a gangster state” and they are living in "hell".

Police minister Bheki Cele released the quarterly statistics on Tuesday for crimes recorded between January and March this year.

According to the stats, almost 70 people were murdered each day between January and March. Most were victims of arguments, vigilantism and robberies.

KwaZulu-Natal recorded the most murders at 1,589, a 0.8% increase compared with the period last year when 1,576 murders were recorded. Gauteng came in second with 1,556 murders and Eastern Cape with 1,112.

Cele said more than 10,500 rape cases were opened during the first three months of the year, which translates to about 116 cases a day.

The minister said, among other initiatives, R65m has been allocated to the top 30 crime-heavy police stations to address murder and other contact crimes.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said the crime statistics painted a grim picture of how Cele had been unable to turn around the criminal situation in the country, and how South African communities have been left to their own defences.

"Continued deteriorating crime statistics highlight how the country is further transforming into a gangster state, and the need for urgent policy and leadership reform to turn the situation around.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa’s refusal to recognise how abysmal Cele’s reign has been is further evidence he is incapable of making the right decisions to fix South Africa. The truth is Ramaphosa should have fired the police minister years ago and definitely should do so today,” he said.

Mashaba said policy reform and attention were urgently needed to intervene at the South African Police Service, partnering with civil society, to restore the rule of law and bring safety to communities.

“Urgent attention must also be given to the socioeconomic drivers of crime.

“The crime statistics indicate despite minister Cele's populist rhetoric, violent crimes have increased by 4%, murders by 8.4% and assaults with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm by 0.7%. Cele has been minister of police for five years.”

The DA said the statistics revealed little has been achieved in keeping pupils safe from violent crime.

The party said it will submit parliamentary questions to determine how many incidents involved pupils, teachers and staff, as well as the measures the basic education department has put in place to ensure the safety and security of individuals on school premises.

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