Murder in South Africa - Past and Present
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This paper looks at a history of murder in South Africa. The official statistics in the New South Africa (since 1994) show that violent crime has had the greatest increase of all crime categories. Murder is a sub-category of “violent crime”. The official state statistics claim that while, since 1994, all sub-categories of “violent crime” are on the increase, murder is the only sub-category on the decrease. However, these statistics are contested, for example, Interpol have South African murder statistics that are roughly double the official South African state statistics, while the South African Medical Research Council claim there are roughly a third more murders in South Africa than the official police statistics reveal. This castes doubt on the New South African government’s claim that the murder rate has in fact decreased since 1994.
Written by: Rob Mc Cafferty (M. Ed)
Communications Director
United Christian Action
Date: June 2003