This was the address by the Provincial Police Commissioner Elias Mawela, during the province’s crime statistics reveal for the fourth quarter of the 2022/23 FY, which is a period between January to March 2023.
“Though the overall crime statistics have increased by 2%, which translate to an increase of about 2 129 incidents as compared to the same period in the previous year, there has been a slight decrease in crime incidents such as sexual offences, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm as well as robbery with aggravating circumstances,” says Mawela, as he appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety, on Wednesday, June 14 at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
These are serious crimes that continue to terrorize our communities particularly women and children and include crimes such as rape, sexual assault, robbery at non-residential carjacking, burglary at residential premises as well as theft of motor vehicle amongst others, he says.
Gauteng remains one of the highest contributors to the national overall crime statistics, contributing 27.2% of crimes in the country. Loadshedding has also exacerbated crime nationally.
Concerns were also raised on delays in establishing of the provincial integrated command center which will play a significant role of coordinating all the law enforcement agencies on the ground.
The committee has called for the establishment of this center as a matter of urgency; and noted the rise of a worrying trend of crimes committed using technology were people are being robbed through online shopping scams and e-hailing services, following the burning of three e-hailing cars at Maponya Mall, Soweto last week, as fight broke out between taxi operators and e-hailing services.
The committee will convene a meeting with Metro Police from different Municipalities to allow them to present their plans on fulfilling their Constitutional mandate and ensure that their plans are well aligned to support other Law Enforcement Agencies in the Province.
Although progress has been made in reduction and increase detection in some serious crime incidents that have for over time been a cause for concern in the Province, crime still remains a worry for all.
Image supplied (Police searching and arresting outside a Joburg CBD building were crime is a nightmare and criminals operate as they please day and night).
