Crime stats: Amnesty International calls for SAPS overhaul
Amnesty International is calling for a complete overhaul of the South Africa Police Service following the release of the latest crime statistics.
The local chapter of the rights organisation says changes need to be made to ensure the SAPS is fit for purpose to deal with the extremely high levels of crime.
Amnesty was commenting on the crime figures for the first three months of the year, which confirmed that the number of murders rose 4.3% year-on-year.
Gender-based violence also continued unabated.
Spokesperson Mienke Steytler says between January and March an average of 69 people were killed every day.
“We can no longer allow violent crimes to continue with impunity. The justice system has to act as a deterrent, and the first step is ensuring that the police can conduct thorough, efficient and transparent investigations into all killings, and ensure that the perpetrators are charged in accordance with the law.”
Steytler says even more shocking is the ongoing onslaught on women and children.
She says the statistics show that murders of women increased by 7.9%, and attempted murder of women by a shocking 21.5%.
“The continued onslaught against women and children in South Africa is shameful. The country has a lot of plans, we have a lot of rhetoric, we have a lot of statements being made by the President and by government officials and we have three new gender-based violence laws but we are seeing that no one is safe, especially women and children.
“The government must comply with both its own constitutional and international human rights obligations to do more to protect women and children in this country.”
