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The awful reality calls for shift in priorities: SA records more than 80 murders daily, more than 130 rapes BY Ronelle Snyders
Ian Cameron has expressed concern that the budget allocation prioritises GDP protection over essential police services.
South Africa’s police portfolio committee chair, Ian Cameron, called for a reduction in GDP protection for ministers and public officials, citing the country’s high crime rate and the need to allocate resources more effectively.
It comes after Cameron revealed that South Africa’s crime crisis has reached alarming proportions, with more than 80 people murdered every day and more than 130 raped, according to police statistics.
This grim reality prompted Cameron to call for a shift in priorities and a reassessment of the country’s policing strategy.
The figures paint a bleak picture of a country plagued by violence and crime. With an average of 85 murders per day, South Africa’s murder rate is among the highest in the world.
The rape statistics are equally disturbing, with 135 minimum cases reported daily. This translates into a staggering 49 725 minimum rapes and 31 025 murders per year.
Speaking to Newsroom Afrika on Tuesday, Cameron was reacting to the new police minister’s briefing that took place on Monday. In the briefing, Senzo Mchunu promised an overhaul of the police management system.
Budget allocation criticised
Cameron expressed concern that the budget allocation prioritises GDP protection over essential policing services, such as supporting detectives and police wellbeing.“This is not a massive increase compared to previous budgets, but there is still an increase. Now I’m saying there should actually be a decline, and we should rather use that money to give ordinary South Africans a chance to have fair and proper policing that they haven’t had for so many years,” Cameron said.
The Chairperson made examples of certain townships that urgently need to be improved in terms of policing, such as Emfuleni in Cape Town and Tembisa in East Rand.
He said an increase in the quality of policing in the aforementioned areas would be feasible if GDP protections for ministers and public officials were cut. Cameron said he doesn’t believe GDP protections need that much funding.
“Something that I also think should be encouraged is that the relevant threat provisions are done to determine whether certain so-called VIPs need the protection they get and that it’s not just a status symbol,” Cameron added.
Police overburdened and underfunded
He said police wellbeing and specialised units were not getting the attention they should be getting. He further added that police or crime detection figures were not allocated to the relevant budget.Cameron emphasised that police officers are overburdened, with an average of 300 dossiers each, and that the 5% increase in funding for detectives is insufficient.
With more people choosing private security rather than state policing, it has highlighted the ingenuity and preparedness of private companies. Sometimes the police themselves often contacted private security for help with crime in certain situations.
Cameron suggested that public-private partnerships could help bridge the gap in the state’s fight against crime – at least in the short term.
Improved training and police protection need
Cameron stressed the need for improved internal training systems and police protection, especially for officers investigating high-priority crimes after hours.Moreover, he reiterated the need for an improved internal training system, with an emphasis on the Phillipe Training College in Cape Town and its notorious corruption scandals.
“For more than six years, the place has not been audited, so we cannot expect to train decent police officers and do in-service training when the training institution itself is not fit for purpose,” he said.
With police killings becoming a growing trend in the country, Cameron said what Mchunu said about police killings being an attack on the state was not necessarily a change in legislation and has always existed.
“I think existing legislation just needs to be implemented properly.
“We don’t have the specialized capacity to track down whoever the killers are. I am concerned about the fact that so many off-duty police officers are being killed, especially detectives investigating high-priority crimes,” he said.
Kidnappings on the rise South
Africa is on the list of kidnapping-for-ransom hotspots. The country was ranked sixth globally based on the increase of kidnappings.In fiscal year 2022/23, more than 15,000 abductions were reported. The most targeted victims are high-net-worth individuals and their families.
He attributed the increase to trading foreign businessmen with large sums of money and the lack of faith in the state’s ability to address the issue.
“Often ransom is paid because of the loss of confidence in the state to really do something,” Cameron said.
He added that he hopes the increase in kidnapping rates being thwarted will continue, and shared his concerns about South Africa overtaking Mexico in kidnapping cases.
However, Cameron also highlighted hijackings where the hijacker would later drop off the victim. While these are not kidnappings for ransom, he noted the need to include them when kidnappings are counted in the country.
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