Clement Manyathela speaks with Risenga Maluleke, the Statistician-General of South Africa and Head of Statistics South Africa, about the ongoing crisis of crime in the country.

Maluleke clarifies that crime in South Africa can be divided into two categories: reported crime, which is recorded in SAPS (South African Police Service) administrative records, and unreported crime – those incidents that are experienced but never reported to the police.

He highlights some of the most frequently reported crimes in South Africa, including:

• Murders
• Sexual offences, with around 84% of these incidents reported
• Housebreaking (when the victim is not home) and home robberies

"Housebreaking remains the highest crime in South Africa," Maluleke says.

He further explains that a key indicator of a community's safety is whether people feel comfortable walking freely at night, confident in their security.

Unfortunately, he notes, this is not the reality in South Africa, particularly for women.

Maluleke also points out that many South Africans tend to trust the police more than the judicial system.

He explains that, in the court of law, the process begins with the defendant pleading, followed by the trial.

In contrast, in a traditional setting, the individual is first tried, and only then is the plea made.

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