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The release of the third quarter crime statistics confirm the fact that President Ramaphosa and Minister Bheki Cele are the enemies of safety and all South Africans.

The Minister has once again proven himself unconcerned with the plight of millions of South Africans who live in fear and look to him to keep them safe and secure.

According to the SAPS’ report, the period between 1 October 2023 and 31 December 2023 saw South Africans suffering:

7,710 Murders (85,7 per day);

15,284 Sexual Offences (169,8 per day);

7,927 Attempted Murders (88 per day);

53,513 Assaults (GBH) (594,6 per day);

52,965 Assaults (common) (588,5 per day);

6,360 Robberies at residential premises (70,7 per day);

40,331 Robberies with aggravating circumstances (448,1 per day); and

5,973 Carjackings (66,4 per day).

Comparing these figures to a year ago reveals that violent crime is on the rise and that Minister Cele has failed the people of our country:

Murders are up 2,1%;

Attempted Murders are up 12,9%;

Assaults (GBH) are up 5,8%;

Assaults (common) are up 0,4%;

Robberies at residential premises are up 1,7%;

Robberies with aggravating circumstances are up 6,6%; and

Carjackings are up 6,5%.

Assaults with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm against children are up by 11,9% and against women are up 7% since this time last year.

The SAPS’ statistics clearly confirm that the Minister is not only unfit to hold office, but that the President condones violent crime the longer he keeps Minister Cele in office.

The SAPS detective service is woefully understaffed, hundreds of firearms are stolen from SAPS stores every year, and its total personnel complement is smaller today than it was in 2019.

The only way to ensure every person’s safety in South Africa is to devolve police powers to capable provinces and get national government out the way.

The only way we will be able to clean out this incompetent ANC-led government, and the Minister with it, is to vote for the DA this election. Time is running out for South Africans to register to vote.

The DA urges every South African who has not yet registered or who needs to change their address to go online and visit www.check.da.org.za to make sure they are correctly registered to vote DA to rescue South Africa.

Issued by Andrew Whitfield MP - DA Shadow Minister of Police