The crimes that are getting worse in South Africa
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has presented the country’s latest crime statistics, covering the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year, October to December 2021.
Total reported crimes over the period declined by 3.3%, both as a result of reported crimes, as well as a reduction in the number of crimes detected through police activity.
Contact crimes, which include categories like assault and sexual offences, were down overall, but violent crimes like murder and attempted murder are up.
South Africa recorded 6,859 murders in the three-month period, up from 6,279 the year before (+9.2%). Attempted murders were up 3.5%, with the SAPS tracking 5,645 cases.
Contact-related crimes and other serious crimes were both up in the quarter, with a notable increase in carjackings (+13.8%) and commercial crimes (+15.9%).
On a more positive front, property crimes were down, with big drops in common robbery (-11.0%), theft out of vehicles (-11.1%) and shoplifting (-15.1%).
Crime detected as a result of police action was down. This category of crime reporting is difficult to describe as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, as reduced numbers may reflect fewer instances of crime (a positive trend) or a lack of policing (a negative trend).
Provincially, Gauteng reported the most number of crimes, with 107,815 cases opened by the community. This is followed by the Western Cape with 72,547 cases, and KwaZulu-Natal with 61,605 cases.
In previous quarterly reports, the SAPS compared the 2021/22 stats to those in 2019, saying that the 2020/21 period was not comparable because of the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
For the third quarter stats, 2019 comparisons have been dropped and figures have returned to regular year-on-year analysis.
SA crime stats: Q3 2020 vs Q3 2021
| 2020 vs 2021 | Oct-Dec 2020 | Oct-Dec 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Crimes | 171 764 | 164 953 | -4.0% |
| Contact-related Crimes | 30 989 | 31 621 | +2.0% |
| Property-related Crimes | 99 034 | 91 450 | -7.7% |
| Other Serious Crimes | 97 931 | 101 820 | +4.0% |
| Total public reported | 399 718 | 389 844 | -2.5% |
| Crime detected as a result of police action | 59 800 | 54 608 | -8.7% |
| Total | 459 518 | 444 452 | -3.3% |
- Contact crimes include murder, attempted murder and sexual offences, as well as common assault and robbery.
- Contact-related crimes include arson and malicious injury to property.
- Other serious crimes include commercial crime, shop-lifting, and other types of theft – while aggravated robbery includes hijackings, robbery at residences, and cash-in-transit heists and bank robberies.
- Crimes detected as a result of police action cover crimes discovered by active policing, such as roadblocks and raids. This category covers the illegal possession of firearms, DUI or driving under the influence (of drugs or alcohol), and the use, possession or trade of illegal drugs.
Biggest increases in crime categories for 3Q21
| Category | Oct-Dec 2020 | Oct-Dec 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank robbery | 0 | 6 | +6 cases |
| Commercial crime | 23 428 | 27 155 | +15.9% |
| Carjacking | 4 794 | 5 455 | +13.8% |
| Murder | 6 279 | 6 859 | +9.2% |
| Attempted murder | 5 452 | 5 645 | +3.5% |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 62 195 | 64 214 | +3.2% |
| Truck hijacking | 436 | 448 | +2.8% |
| Malicious damage to property | 30 032 | 30 658 | +2.1% |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 5 052 | 5 138 | +1.7% |
| Arson | 957 | 963 | +0.6% |
| Robbery at residential premises | 5 781 | 5 760 | -0.4% |
| Robbery with aggravating circumstances | 34 599 | 34 143 | -1.3% |
| Common assault | 47 875 | 47 081 | -1.7% |
| Theft of motor vehicle and motorcycle | 10 099 | 9 776 | -3.2% |
| Stock-theft | 7 854 | 7 404 | -5.7% |
| Assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm | 50 124 | 46 513 | -7.2% |
| Burglary at residential premises | 42 834 | 39 692 | -7.3% |
| Burglary at non-residential premises | 15 550 | 14 408 | -7.3% |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 65 | 60 | -7.7% |
| Sexual offences | 15 595 | 14 188 | -9.0% |
| Common robbery | 11 822 | 10 524 | -11.0% |
| Theft out of or from motor vehicle | 22 697 | 20 170 | -11.1% |
| Shoplifting | 12 308 | 10 451 | -15.1% |
Crime detected as a result of police action
| Category | Oct-Dec 2020 | Oct-Dec 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 3 353 | 3 387 | +1.0% |
| Drug-related crime | 37 546 | 36 053 | -4.0% |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 16 259 | 13 181 | -18.9% |
| Sexual offences discovered as a result of police action | 2 642 | 1 987 | -24.8% |
Read: Big jump in hijackings in South Africa – these are the hotspot areas
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