The DA in KwaZulu-Natal is alarmed by escalating levels of violent crime in our province, in particular murder, rape, armed robbery and car hijackings.
This as yesterday’s crime statistics for the 2nd Quarter of 2024 ranked Inanda and Umlazi SAPS first and second highest country-wide for rape, while Inanda also tops the list for murder.
The bad news does not end there, with Umlazi and Inanda again featuring in first and second place for sexual offences and Umlazi, Inanda, Verulam and Ntuzuma named as the top four places in South Africa for attempted murder.
It is clear that that KZN’s law enforcement agencies are not winning the war against crime.
The statistics also reveal that South Africa – and KZN – has a shockingly high rate of domestic violence, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV). This is a sad and grim reality for KZN’s women and children, particularly as we mark the start of 16 Days of Activism against GBV).
Urgent reform is needed in terms of policing, justice, and sentencing.
Stronger laws and policies are needed in order to protect our women and children while support for GBV survivors must be improved along with faster responses from law enforcement. Equally, there needs to be improved facilities and resources for shelters and victim support services.
Crime continues to rise unabated because of SAPS mismanagement and corruption, underfunding and under-resourcing of law enforcement agencies.
Equally, there need to be tougher sentences for perpetrators in order to deter crime, particularly for repeat offenders and those involved in serious crimes such as murder, rape, and armed robbery.
Delays in trials, backlogs in courts, and lenient sentences have contributed to a sense of impunity among criminals. The DA wants to see reform that will ensure that criminals face swift justice and courts taking a tougher stance against violent crimes.
The DA will continue to advocate for better leadership in law enforcement, enhanced training for officers and a complete overhaul of SAPS structures to ensure that officers are equipped to effectively combat crime. In addition, we will continue to push for;
• Devolved Policing Community Engagement: We call for expanding community-policing partnerships to proactively address localized criminal issues, particularly in high-crime provinces such as our province
• Enhanced Intelligence and Forensic Capabilities: We fight crime with outdated technology. We must accelerate the modernisation of forensic labs and crime intelligence systems to stay ahead of sophisticated criminal networks.
• Focus on Prevention: While arrests are important, we also need to be steadfast on crime prevention. We must intensify crime prevention strategies by addressing socio-economic drivers of crime, such as unemployment and poverty.
• Accountability in Policing: While commendable progress has been made by IPID, stronger mechanisms are needed for consistent discipline and accountability within SAPS and;
• Strengthen Port and Border Security: We must reinforce operations at ports of entry to curb illegal immigration, smuggling, and other cross-border crimes.
The DA remains steadfast in its call for a ‘whole of society approach’ and remains committed to working with all relevant stakeholders to find solutions to this scourge in our province. As we head into the festive season, the DA calls on every stakeholder and member of our communities to unite in reclaiming KZN from the crippling grip of crime.