Contact crimes, against a person, declined by 3% compared with the same quarter last year, but remained high at 160 935. This type of crime amounted to 162 518 incidences in the same quarter in 2022 and 165 909 in 2023, but 135 413 cases in 2020 and 137 145 in 2021.
The number of murders declined by 5,8% to 6 545, the number of sexual offences by 2,5% to 12 765, common assault by 1,4% to 44 722, common robbery by 6,2% to 11 692, and robbery with aggravating circumstances by 8,8% to 35 429 cases.
During the second quarter of 2020 and 2021, there were 5 099 and 6 163 murders, respectively, 11 408 and 11 964 sexual offences, 36 699 and 37 137 common assaults, 9 829 and 9 619 common robberies, and 32 668 and 31 480 robberies with aggravating circumstances.
During the second quarter of 2024, attempted murder and assault increased by 2,2% to 7 061 in comparison with 2023, and assault with the intent to inflict grievous harm by 1% to 42 721. These are the highest levels since 2020.
Bennie van Zyl, general manager of TLU SA, said it was concerning that the small decline in statistics were made out as an achievement, when it was merely a movement in the right direction for a country with very high crime levels.
World Population Review ranked South Africa as the country with the fifth highest crime rate in the world in 2024, notably with high rates of assault, rape, homicide and other violent crimes.
Van Zyl attributed the high crime rate to the “normalisation of violence” and a culture that supports crime through, for instance, politicians and unions that invoke violence by encouraging damage to property and farm attacks.
High levels of poverty, unemployment and inequality also contributed to the situation. “Desperate people often turn to desperate measures when they do not have enough money to buy food or other living essentials,” he explained.
To address the situation, Van Zyl said government could start by focussing on creating an environment that supported economic growth, as this was the key to unlocking job opportunities, alleviating poverty and reducing inequalities in the country. It would also free-up finance to invest in more efficient policing and other services.
“Government should ask itself whether an initiative, regulation or policy will allow the economy to grow. If it does not, they should come up with something else. Things like black economic empowerment and the Extension of Security Tenure Act might bring some short-term results, but are not good for the country over the long run,” he said.
The crime statistics revealed that 94 of the murders, 71 attempted murders and 327 assaults with grievous bodily harm took place on agricultural land, a farm, plot or smallholding, and that two farmers, five farm dwellers, five unspecified people, two employees and one security official were murdered in the farming community during the second quarter of 2024.
Noko Masipa, DA member of Parliament, said crime in farming communities had far-reaching implications, not only for farmers and farmworkers but also for the broader agriculture sector.
“The South African Police Service (SAPS) should urgently address these issues by increasing their presence in affected areas and implementing targeted crime-prevention strategies. A coordinated effort to strengthen security in vulnerable farming communities and areas is vital to safeguard lives, protect livelihoods and ensure the stability of agricultural productivity,” he said.
Piet Lötter, TLU SA manager of services, said the SAPS defined farm attacks and murders different from TLU SA. According to TLU SA statistics, these types of crimes are down.
The number of farm attacks declined from 155 in the period from January 2023 to October 2023 to 114 over the same period in 2024, while farm murders over these periods declined from 42 to 26, Lötter said.
Total farm murders amounted to 50 and farm attacks to 193 in 2023, whereas 26 farm murders and 114 farm attacks have been recorded this far in 2024.
Lötter, however, pointed out that farm attacks and murders are traditionally higher during the festive season in December and January, and therefore encouraged farmers to sharpen up their security systems and networks to safeguard themselves against attacks.
