Crime ‘worrying’ in South Africa: 7,000 murdered in three months

Al Jazeera ^

[ameribbean expat]

More than 7,000 people were murdered over three months in South Africa, according to new police statistics, which showed a rise in violent crime from the same period last year.

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Almost 1,000 women were among those murdered during the period in 2022. More than 13,000 women were also victims of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and 1,277 women were victims of attempted murder.

“The rate at which women are abused, violated and some killed in South Africa remains worrying and unacceptable,” Police Minister Bheki Cele told a news conference.

The figures also showed that kidnappings doubled to more than 4,000 compared with the same time last year; and rapes, in a country notorious for sex attacks against women and children, were up 11 percent, with 10,000 cases opened across the country

[MplsSteve]

For years, I’ve always thought that SA would be a worthy tourist destination. Going on a safari, the mountains, the history, etc...

But everything I’ve read in the last few years makes it sound like SA is a crime-ridden hellhole - especially in cities like Cape Town, Jo’burg and Durban. I’d be willing to bet that most tourists would not have a reason to go into the areas where a lot of the crime is occurring - but why take the chance?

[M1903A1]

Strange irony...firearm ownership under the post-apartheid government is actually freer and easier than it was under apartheid.

For an example, under apartheid it was effectively impossible for a civilian to own a semi-automatic rifle. If you lived in a rural area, particularly near the borders or the Namibian war zone, the Army might issue you one, but that was it. Now, while it takes a bunch of “sporting purpose” hoop-jumping, it’s possible for a civilian to own them.

The remaining FN-FALs in Zimbabwe that were left over from the Rhodesian era (that didn’t go to the European or American markets in the 90s) have gone to the South African civilian market.

[M1903A1]

“Curiously we went up to zambia and namibia briefly. There was no menace there at all.”

Zambia, Namibia, and Mozambique have all been actively seeking to attract displaced white South Africans, especially farmers. They learned their lesson long ago.