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The Portfolio Committee on Police today welcomed the meticulous work by members of the South African Police Service that has led to the arrest of seven suspects linked to the murders of renowned artist AKA (Kiernan Forbes) and chef,  Tebello Motsoane. The committee noted the arrest as a testament to the dedication and adherence to the principles of investigation and hopes that the arrests will lead to successful prosecution.
 
The committee today received a briefing on the third quarter crime statistics (October-December 2023). It raised concern over the increase in contact crimes, especially the 2.1% increase in murder, 13% increase in attempted murder, and 6.6% increase in robbery with aggravating circumstances. While the committee welcomes the 2.7% decrease in sexual offences, it remains worried that the 15 284 cases reported remain worryingly high and require a focused approach to reduce this scourge.
 
Another concern raised was over the prevalence of illegal firearms in South Africa’s streets. These firearms are often instrumental in the choice to commit murder. The committee has highlighted the need to enhance strategies to reduce the number of illegal firearms on the streets.
 
The committee also remains concerned over the continued murder of members of the South African Police Service. The crime statistics show that 22 police officers were killed during the quarter. “We remain concerned that the people who are in the service of protecting South Africans are maimed on a daily basis. This is a direct affront to the rule of law and measures are needed to resolve this problem urgently,” said Committee Chairperson, Mr Nocks Seabi.
 
The committee noted that a focused intervention must include capacitation of specialised units to ensure that specific areas of concerns are addressed systematically.
 
The committee also acknowledged the assurance by the National Commissioner of Police General Fannie Masemola that they are revising strategies to ensure that the fight against crime is intensified to augment existing strategies such as Operation Shanela. The committee considers it important that the SAPS collaborates with communities to build the trust necessary to enable information sharing and reporting crime.
 
In line with this, the committee welcomed the allocation to support Community Police Forums (CPFs) and Boards. The committee was encouraged that spending decisions were made in consultation with CPFs and that the R70 million will address local needs. While the committee welcomed this initial funding, it highlighted the need to strengthen the working relationship between the SAPS and CPFs to ensure better collaboration in crime fighting efforts. The committee also welcomed the assurance that of the 1 157 police stations in South Africa, 1 155 stations have functional Community Police Forums. The committee has called for a proper assessment to ascertain if the R70 million has had a desirable impact on efforts to reduce crime and has called for this assessment to be continuous. 

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Nocks Seabi