Cape Town - The Friday night murders of rapper Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, commonly known as AKA, and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane in Durban’s Florida Road, and the slaying of traditional leader Inkosi Zwelakhe Ndaba of Ntabamhlophe in Estcourt have laid bare once again the devastating rate of bloodshed in the country.
In the murders of Forbes and Motsoane, police have said the two men were allegedly approached by two armed suspects who walked up to them from across the street and shot them at close range.
The suspects fled on foot.
In the case of Ndaba, according to a report, he was asleep in his home when the assailants stormed in and opened fire.
According to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), official crime statistics show that the murder rate in South Africa is soaring, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
ISS said: “Murder has increased by 62% from a low of 15 554 deaths in 2011/12 to 25 181 in 2021/22.
The trend has been driven by large increases in specific provinces.”
It said murder in KZN decreased slightly in 2020/21 to 4 825 cases, but surged by 35% in 2021/22 to 6 495.
The ISS further noted that there has been a 55% drop since 2012 in the police’s ability to solve murders.
While it is acknowledged that murders have varying motives such as interpersonal conflict and vigilantism, or are committed in the commission of other crimes, the police need to do much more to bring down the country’s unacceptably high murder rate.
In his State of the Nation Address last week, president Cyril Ramaphosa commented: “Violent crime takes a heavy toll on every South African. This situation cannot continue.”
Indeed Mr President, this situation cannot continue as South Africans should not have to fear being attacked on the street when they leave a restaurant, or while they are asleep in their homes.
Apart from increasing the number of new recruits, there is an urgent need to boost the capacity and resources of the police’s visible policing units, detective services and intelligence services to address crime.
Cape Times