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Mbalula reveals deputy's nephew murdered, releases crime stats

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula was explaining to lawmakers why his deputy could not be in the national legislature on Tuesday for the release of the annual national crime statistics.

FILE: Deputy Police Minister Bongani Mkongi. Picture: SAPS
FILE: Deputy Police Minister Bongani Mkongi. Picture: SAPS
| 1501 days ago

CAPE TOWN - On the same day that Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has released the annual national crime statistics in Parliament, he’s revealed that his deputy minister Bongani Mkongi’s nephew was killed in Khayelitsha.

Mbalula was explaining to lawmakers why his deputy could not be in the national legislature on Tuesday.

The minister announced there has been a 1.8% decrease in community-reported serious crimes, driven mainly by reductions in contact crimes.

But he concedes that the level for murder and aggravated robberies remain a concern.

Following two successive years of increases in contact crimes, there’s been a 2.4% reduction in this category during the 2016/2017 financial year.

Mbalula says that research has shown that the majority of contact crimes are social in nature.

"It occurs among people who know one another. For this reason, it is extremely difficult for SAPS to prevent the levels of such crimes alone. This calls for structured partnerships, such as the Department of Social Development."

Murder has continued its upward trend: the number of killings in the country increased by 1.8%.

Aggravated robberies have also increased by 6.4%; while the trio crimes of carjacking, residential and non-residential robberies are up again.

The number of sexual offences reported to police has gone down by 4.3%. In particular, incidents of rape have decreased by 4%.

(Edited by Shimoney Regter)

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