The Commission notes the 4% decrease in reported sexual offences, however the Commission remains concerned with the fact that research shows that too many, if not most, sexual offences remain unreported.

On Sunday, the 22nd October 2017 a disturbing video emerged and went viral on social media of a man being robbed and brutally beaten outside Vanin Court, a hijacked building in Hillbrow. The Commission understands that this incident represents the lived experience of many South Africans on a daily basis and thus is of the firm view that the prevalence of crime needs to be seriously curbed for people’s human rights to be protected and fully realised.

The Commission is of particular concern with the fact that the poor and vulnerable in South Africa are particularly impacted by crime, being dependant on the South African Police Services (SAPS) for protection, law enforcement and community safety; whilst those with financial means have access to private security services. This exposes the poor and vulnerable to crime as a result of poor police response times due to an under resourced SAPS and other such factors.
The Commission calls on the Minister of Police and senior police officials to ensure a greater focus on crime detection and investigation that result in the conviction of those that commit crimes.

As disturbing as the high prevalence of crime is within South Africa, and as much as crime impacts on the rights of all within South Africa, the Commission believes that an effective response to crime will necessitate more efficient policing, as opposed to an infringement of human rights.

The SAHRC will continue to seek an audience with the Minister of Police to raise its concerns about the high levels of crime and its impact on human rights and how best the country can tackle the scourge of crime and its root cause.   

Ends

Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission

Gail Smith – Spokesperson Tel: 060 988 3792 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gushwell Brooks – Communications Co-ordinator Tel: 082 645 8573 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.