ATM REACTS TO THE CRIME STATS AS RELEASED BY THE MINISTRY OF POLICE

The 2019 crime stats recently released by SAPS paint a dim picture of a country losing war against criminality.Twenty-five years into democracy with life sentence deemed as a highest punishment, the murder rate has surged 35% since 2011/12. This year alone the murder rate is sitting at an unacceptable high of 3.4% since last year, where no less than 58 people are killed daily including women and children.The gender based violence perpetrated by men has reached totally unacceptable proportions particularly sexual offences that have increased by 4.6%.Commercial crime has increased by 14.4% while petty crime like shoplifting, burglary at residential premises and theft from motor vehicles have all dropped by a significant 3.2%.It is our view as ATM that the increase in commercial crime is due to weak legislation that allows tax evasion through elaborate schemes such as Base Erosion Profit Shifting ( BEPS) transfer pricing and various other dubious accounting tricks that go unchecked.The pro Big Business posture of the government continues to turn a blind eye to commercial crime whilst the country is bleeding financially.ATM is vindicated that life sentence is not a deterrent of crime.It is very sad that South African government refuses to play its role to protect the citizens from a permanent threat of being murdered by allowing repeat murderers to roam our streets instead of removing them permanently from society through a justice based capital punishment.It is absurd that taxpayers including bereaved families are forced to pay for the education, and wellbeing of repeated rapists and murderers.South Africa needs a well-structured labour convict system where criminals facing jail terms are made to plough back into society through various forms of supplying their labour as a quid pro quo for their crimes.Police stations must be equipped with Gender Based Violence professionals. All health centres must be SAPS accredited as centres where GBV can be reported because these centres provide a better environment and confidentiality for reporting such crimes. Police reservists must be used to strengthen the capacity and visibility of law enforcement We hold a firm view as ATM that the justice system must be victim centric. Perpetrators should not be allowed to enjoy their right to life when they have made it their hobby to deny others same.ATM will not tire in calling for a referendum to amend the Constitution so that those who repeatedly rape and murder are deemed to have revoked their right to life.