The DA in Limpopo is gravely concerned by the high number of rape cases and domestic violence related crimes registered in the SAPS 2023/24 first quarter crime statistics.
The province is currently losing the battle on crime and the first quarter crime statistics paint a bleak picture. The province recorded 197 murders, , 1031 sexual offences (including 858 rapes and 104 sexual assaults), 247 attempted murders and 2832 assault GBH cases.
Limpopo had four police stations namely Mankweng, Thohoyandou, Giyani and Seshego ranked in the top 30 stations nationwide for rape offences, with Mankweng ranked 3rd , Thohoyandou ranked 6th , Giyani ranked 23rd and Seshego ranked 27th . These police stations were also ranked in the top 30 for sexual offences.
It is unacceptable that these police stations are a recurring feature on the country’s top 30 rape and sexual offences list quarter after quarter. Thohoyandou also ranks on the top 30 stations for the 17 community-reported serious crimes, sexual assault, and contact crime. This highlights a lack of support and resources at these stations to improve their response.
The brazen nature of some of these rape crimes is also a cause for concern as 202 of these incidents occurred in public places and 13 more incidents occurred in educational institutions (10 in schools, 2 in special schools and 1 in tertiary)
The statistics also show that domestic violence continues to be a serious societal issue. The province recorded 8 murder cases, 9 attempted murder cases, 54 rape cases, 7 sexual assault cases, 395 assault GBH cases and 649 common assault cases as domestic violence related crimes.
The sustained large numbers of sexual offences prove that the SAPS and Limpopo provincial government are still failing to keep residents safe in their communities. There is a need for a concerted effort and greater resources to address the high numbers of sexual offences and domestic violence.
The DA is committed to ensuring that the provincial government and SAPS are held accountable in addressing the current unacceptable culture of rape and domestic violence related crimes in the province.