Police Commissioner in the North West, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane has released her province’s crime statistics for 2016/17 year.
The figures shows an increase in the number of rape, car hijacking and murders. In the predominantly rural province, some of the province’s three million population relies on agriculture.
According to the figures, rape and sexual violence incidents have increased by 5.3%. Car hijacking and robbery have increased by 11% while in the provinces farming communities, stock-theft have increased by 22%.
Police Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane says they have thrown all weight and resources at this platinum city.
“What we have done we have established a special police task team. There’s a special task them focusing on trio crimes. Rustenburg will remain our priority for our province because I believe that we cannot say that the province is a hotspot and we are not doing anything about it. All our resources they are focusing in Rustenburg for now.”
SAPS management in the North West says at least 96 817 cases were reported, but with less convictions. Police say cases of sexual assault including rape, have increased by 3-point 5 percent.
Brigadier Sakalengwe Ntshabele elaborates, “The sexual offences which includes rape had an increase of 3-point 9 percent and we also had common assault that went up 1,1 percent, common robbery 7,1, and Robbery aggravating went up by 11,7 percent – that was the performance of the province with regards to crime.”
Police say other areas that have crime on the rise includes Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom, in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, Brits in Madibeng and Mmabatho in Mahikeng. MEC for Community Safety, Mpho Motlhabane has urged communities to assist police in the fight against crime.
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