Editorial: Crime stats point to a positive trend

There was room for cautious optimism on Friday, following the release of the country’s crime statistics for the first nine months of the 2016/17 financial year.

Yes, the murder rate is still horrific: only 10 fewer people (14 333) were murdered between April and December 2016 than during the corresponding period the previous year, with a significant number lost to domestic, taxi and election-related violence.

Yes, the armed robbery rate is worse, with 107 445 cases so far in 2016/17, marking a 6.1% rise.