Murder, attempted murder on the rise in Gauteng

Pretoria – Murder and attempted murder are on the rise in Gauteng, according to the 2016/2017 Gauteng crime statistics.

The annual crime statistics, which were presented to the community safety committee in the provincial legislature on Tuesday, show that a number of contact crimes are on the increase in the province.

Murder increased by 6.7%, with 4 101 murders recorded in 2016/2017 compared to 3 842 murders in 2015/2016.

Attempted murder increased by 6.5%, with 4 871 cases of attempted murder registered in the 2016/2017 year, 298 more cases than in 2015/2016.

While Gauteng registered a 0.8% decrease in rape, total sexual offences rose by 0.6%.

According to the statistics, Gauteng contributed 28.2% to the national crime figure.

Protests, both peaceful and violent, are also on the rise in Gauteng. The province has the highest recorded instances of protest action in the country.

The police statistics recorded 908 violent protests and 2 267 peaceful protests in the 2016/2017 financial year.

Violent protests rose by 42.3% while peaceful protests also increased by 15.1%