Staff Reporter
Murder and sexual offences dropped by about 40 percent between April and June in the Free State as the province recorded the biggest ever drop in crime figures, according to the police.
According to the first quarter crime statistics released Friday for the period of April 1 to June 30, 2020, murder cases were 43.4 percent lower from 221 last year to 125.
Sexual offences fell by 40 percent from 818 to 491.
“. . . the first quarter of the 2020/2021 period was a much safer time to live in the country,” Police Minister Bheki Cele said as he announced the results in Pretoria.
Nationally, 3 466 murder cases were recorded in the first quarter compared to 5 398 last year, a 35.8 percent drop.
Sexual offences eased 39.7 percent from 12 094 to 7 296 cases.
Cele said the latest figures show major decreases in all crime categories compared to the same comparative period last year.
“The statistics . . . paint a never seen before ‘rosy’ picture of a peaceful South Africa experiencing a crime holiday,” the minister said.
The sharp drop in crime has been attributed to limited movement by people as this was the period when the country was under lockdown levels five, four and three.
Cele said there was also increased police visibility and that the ban on alcohol sales also helped reduce crimes.
There was a 42.3 percent decline in rape cases from 664 to 383 in the Free State.
Robbery was also down with carjacking dropping by 70 percent while house and business robberies fell by 23.6 percent and 40.4 percent respectively.
No cases of cash-in-transit and bank robberies were recorded in the province.
Meanwhile, three people have been arrested in unrelated incidents in Bultfontein and Virginia, northern Free State, for dealing in drugs possession of unlicensed firearms.
A 50-year-old man was arrested Thursday in the Kgotha Section, Phahameng in Bultfontein after police received a tip-off that he was dealing in drugs.
After requesting to search the house, the police were told they could not enter one of the rooms as owner was not there.
They eventually opened the room and found clothes scattered on the floor as well as dagga wrapped in plastics, about 90 Mandrax tablets and some cash in the bathroom.
The man was immediately arrested and charged with dealing in drugs.
A man and a woman were also arrested on the same day at a house in Sloja Section, Meloding in Virginia for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition as well as dealing in drugs.
The police pounced on the two, both aged 55, as they arrived home after monitoring the house for several hours.
Upon searching the house, the police found a RAP 401 firearm with the serial number filed off and a magazine with no rounds, a.38 Special revolver firearm with serial number filed off and four live rounds, a licensed Norinco firearm in a holster inside a bag with no live rounds and there were additional eight live rounds of ammunition found inside a jacket.
In another room, they found 357 pokes of dagga.
Five plastics with loose dagga were also found inside a big black refuse plastic bag.
The pair has been charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition as well dealing in dagga.
