The most dangerous place for South Africans to be is in their own homes and workplaces.
The crime statistics released on Thursday show decreases in most crime categories but robberies at residential and business premises are still on the rise.
Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula released the latest statistics in Pretoria as part of the new six-month cycle of reporting. Nqakula bowed to pressure from the business community, which pushed him to release statistics more frequently.
Robberies at homes and business have increased in the past six months by 7% and 29,3% respectively, while most contact crimes — such as murder, rape and common robbery — decreased.
Indecent assault increased by 3,5% while murder decreased by 6,5% from the previous increase of 2,4%.
Rape and common assault continued their downward trend of the previous cycle, but at a slower rate than before.
Rape decreased by 3,6% in the past six months having previously dropped 5,2%, while common assault dropped 5,1% but previously came down by 8,7%.
The new statistics show that in the case of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and common robbery, the target reduction of between 7% and 10% has been reached.
The police, however, admit that these successes are ‘marred†by increases of 29,3% in business robbery and 7% in house robbery†and the marginal decrease of 0,7% in carjackings.
The trend of contact crimes being committed by people who know one another is continuing, with 82% of murders being committed by people who are known to their victims as well as 76% of rapes, 89% of assaults and 59% of attempted murders.
Social contact crimes did not achieve the targeted reduction of 7% to 10%. The increase in indecent assault of 3,5% is, according to the police, because of an increase in the rape of males, particularly males younger than 18.
In the report special mention is made of the increase in house robberies, which ‘touch[es] the very essence of personal privacy and security of every individual in the RSA.
‘In most countries foreign tourists are also warned not to go to certain places at certain times of the day.
‘However, one’s home (whether it be a shack in Khayelitsha or a three-storey mansion in Sandhurst) is one’s castle and forms the centre of one’s privacy and personal security,†says the report.
It was also found that 70% of carjackings occurred either on residential premises or in front of residences.
The fact that most incidents occur in more affluent suburbs and are reflected in the media on a daily basis provides the basis for South Africa’s image as an extremely violent and dangerous society, the report says.
‘It also creates an international image of South Africa which is not conducive to investment and tourism.â€
Theft of motor vehicles and out of motor vehicles declined by 10% and 13%, respectively, while break-ins at homes decreased by 7,9%.
Ministerial spokesperson Trevor Bloem says Gauteng remains an example to other provinces, with initiatives in this province showing encouraging results.
Gauteng saw an overall decrease in all the major contact crime except common assault and indecent assault, which increased by 0,3% and 13,8%, respectively.
Indecent assault rose by 13,8% and drunk driving increased by 28,8%.
Other provinces have seen a dramatic increase in the elements of aggravated robbery.
However robberies at homes increased by 32.5 % in KwaZulu-Natal, going from 1 244 incidents in 2006 to 1 648 incidents in 2007.
In this instance it may be ‘only partly†due to criminals moving from one province to another, says Chris de Kock, chief statistician in the South African Police Service.
For example, he says when things get ‘too hot†in Gauteng criminals may, for instance, move to KwaZulu-Natal.
Additional reporting by Lynley Donnelly