A staggering statistic has emerged from South Africa, revealing that a substantial two-thirds of murder cases go unsolved, largely due to inadequate evidence and a lack of leads. This alarming trend, highlighted by the Democratic Alliance (DA), underscores the critical challenges facing South Africa’s justice system.
Between the financial year of 2018-2019 and December 2023, police closed over 76,000 murder cases without a resolution out of a total of nearly 115,000 reported cases, according to data released by the DA. The DA’s deputy spokeswoman on police matters, Lisa Schickerling, described the figure as “strikingly high,” attributing it partly to a shortage of trained detectives, a direct consequence of insufficient funding. The workload on the remaining detectives is immense, with most carrying between 350 and 500 cases each.
The crisis extends beyond murders. The data, provided by the police minister following a parliamentary request, indicates that more than 61,000 rape cases and 9,000 kidnappings were also closed without a resolution during the same period. Schickerling emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “This is a deplorable state of affairs that requires urgent intervention.”
South Africa grapples with one of the highest crime rates globally, with official figures revealing almost 84 murders per day between October and December last year. While the DA, traditionally the main opposition party, is now part of a coalition government led by the African National Congress, the ANC’s loss of its absolute majority in the May elections signifies a significant shift in the political landscape. The dire situation calls for immediate action to address the alarming crime rates and ensure that justice prevails in South Africa.
