GAUTENG continues to drip blood as the province records an increase in murder cases.
According to Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, a total of 1 787 people were murdered between October and December 2023, an increase of 3,8% compared with the same period the year before.
He revealed this during his update on the quarterly crime statistics in the provincial legislature on Tuesday, 12 March.
“The analysis of a sample of 1 691 cases revealed that the top three contributors of the general increase of murder were arguments, misunderstandings, provocation and road rage by 185 cases, followed by robberies (house, business and street) by 154 cases and vigilantism by 84 cases,” Mthombeni said.
The Jeppe Police Station remains at the top with the highest number of recorded murders, as 66 people were killed, an increase of 57%.
Next was Ivory Park, followed in the second spot with an increase of 6,5% to 49 cases, followed by Joburg Central with 44 cases, a decline of 13,7%.
Mthombeni said among many other factors that contributed to murder increases in the province was a persistent phenomenon of multiple murders.
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He referred to incidents in Diepsloot, north of Joburg, and De Duer, south of Joburg, where crime has been rife.
Shocking incidents in Diepsloot and De Duer
In De Deur, five men from a taxi association were found dead with bullet wounds, six others were rushed to hospital for medical attention, and one succumbed to the injuries at the hospital.
"Three taxis and four vehicles were riddled with bullet holes. The case is still under investigation," Mthombeni said.
In Diepsloot, Mthombeni said five bodies were discovered near the Community Policing Forum district office.
“Their charred bodies were found on a pile of bricks. It was alleged that they were chased, caught and tied before being 'necklaced’.
"Five suspects have since been arrested and were remanded in custody. Their next court appearance is on 20 March 2024,” he said.
In the meantime, gender-based violence (GBV) has been a hot topic in the country, with many civil non-profit organisations referring to the issue as a pandemic.
While GBV is still an issue in the province, Mthombela noted a slight decrease.
“We've observed a significant reduction in all three offences (rape, sexual assaults and contact sexual offences) reported under the umbrella of sexual offences, by 2,5%," he said.
"This translates to 66 counts lower in comparison with the same period in 2022/2023."
Mthombela said some measures that contributed to the decrease were partnerships with communities and NGOs, awareness campaigns, suspect tracing operations and good convictions by the courts.
“These successes are being communicated through all the available channels of the media to serve as a deterrent to those that have intentions to commit rape,” he said.
