The number of deaths in police custody or as a result of police action increased by 11% compared with the same period last year, a report by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) revealed on Monday.
A total of 698 deaths occurred between April 2006 and March 2007, compared with 621 casualties in 2005/06.
Gauteng recorded the most deaths at 169 (24%) followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 153 (22%).
The Northern Cape recorded the lowest number of deaths at 13 (2%).
The figures were tabled in the ICD’s annual report, which was presented to Parliament on September 28.
Of the 698 deaths, 108 were due to natural causes, 94 due to suicide and 141 occurred when suspects were shot during arrest. There were 44 vehicle accidents involving police and four innocent bystanders were shot.
”Perhaps police need to exercise more restraint when it comes to vehicle accidents as this area showed an increase of 32%,” said Moses Dlamini, senior manager of information management and research at ICD.
ICD executive director Patrick Mongwe said there was a 2% increase of complaints received by the ICD compared with last year.
The majority of complaints received were of misconduct by police (51%, with complaints of criminal offences by police taking up 33%.
The number of criminal offences committed by police also increased from 1 643 to 1 787 — an 8% increase.
The offences included 70 cases of corruption, 198 of attempted murder, 132 of abuse of power and 25 of pointing a firearm.
When asked if the ICD would be investigating police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, Mongwe said there were state organs with powers to do the investigation.
”It would be fruitless to duplicate investigations as the Scorpions are currently busy investigating the matter,” he said, adding that this did not mean that the ICD lacked capacity to investigate the matter. — Sapa