Shifting nature of crime

Has SA's devastating tsunami of violence - more than 25,000 men, women and children murdered annually - peaked at last? The release of the crime statistics for the second quarter of 2024-25 appears to offer a rare moment of relief.

- William Saunderson-Meyer

Murder was down in the second quarter by 6% to 6,545 killings and there was a drop of 3% to 10,516 rapes. Robbery with aggravating circumstances was down by 9% and common robbery by 6%. Progress is, of course, never unambiguous. Attempted murder was up 2%, while assault to inflict grievous bodily harm and attempted sexual assault were both up by 1%.

But far more significant than these statistical swings and roundabouts is the fact that the very nature of SA's criminal landscape is evolving in disturbing ways. The new crimes of kidnapping and extortion have, over the past few years, become the country's fastest-growing criminal trends.

The incidence of kidnapping shows a breathtaking 264% increase in the past decade. In 2014-15, there were 4,692 kidnappings and in 2023-24 there were 17,061.