Police said due to arrests related to Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), they are seeing an improvement in convictions.
This, as a Mozambican national on Tuesday appeared in the Carletonville Magistrate’s Court on a charge of kidnapping and murder of Nomsa Jass, 26.
The matter was remanded to September 16 for legal aid and possible bail application.
Jass went missing on August 25, after she left her place of work in Potchefstroom, North West. Police said a missing person inquiry was registered at Potchefstroom police station August 26.
Her body was discovered on September 8 in the bushes along the R501 Road at Blybank, in Carletonville. Her vehicle was recovered at the Daveyton Mall in Springs.
“Between April 2024 and June 2024, 745 persons were convicted for GBVF-related crimes through the work of our Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Investigations (FCS) unit,” said Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola during a media briefing on Thursday.
Breakdown is as follows: 129 GBVF perpetrators were convicted to life in prison; 89 were sentenced to 20 years and above terms; 205 were sentenced to 10 to 19 years; and, 322 were sentenced to between one and nine years’ imprisonment.
“We continue to work towards capacitating our detectives to ensure that they remove perpetrators of crime from our streets. We are training more detectives and have recently re-enlisted 201 detectives back to the service. It is, however, encouraging (given) the limited capacity and constraints,” said Masemola.
From April 1 to August 31, 2024 (five-month period) – a total of 5 711 persons were convicted on various crime, ranging from murder to rape.
The breakdown is as follows:
* 531 life sentences were handed down to 347 accused for murder, rape, house and business robberies, car hijackings and other robberies with firearms.
* Some 31 accused were given 40 years or more for the same crimes. In addition, 60 accused were handed terms ranging between 30 and 39 years for the same crimes. Other sentences passed for the same offences were 430 (between 20 and 29 years); 1 929 (between 10 and 19 years); and, 2 914 (between five and nine years).
Masemola said that since September was police safety month, they were continuously enhancing their safety strategy to ensure the safety and security of members on and off duty.
A week ago, police remembered 39 officers who lost their lives at the hands of criminals.
“We can only end police killings, if communities provide information on criminals and their activities. To our communities, your support and appreciation for our hardworking law enforcement officers does not go unnoticed.
“The tip-offs that we receive from you are proving to be effective. In fact, the majority of successes that we do achieve on a daily basis is as a result of your cooperation. Let’s continue on that note, to work together to fight crime.
“As I said earlier, criminals are in minority; we can and we will bring all these extortionists, kidnappers and hardened criminals to book,” Masemola said.
The South African Policing Union (SAPU) said it commended the police response to crime, saying that war against crime was still on-going.
“Masemola in his media briefing in remembering members who passed on, spoke to the SAPS observing September as a Police Safety Month and, as Sapu, we clearly join him in this great initiative, because the issue of police safety is close to our hearts.
“Jointly we can ensure that our members are not killed in a manner that we have since observed over the years. Like we said that we want to see a zero number reported when it comes to the killing of law enforcement officers, including the police.”
Sapu spokesperson Lesiba Thobakgale said: “We urge our members to stay vigilant and to ensure that at all times they are able to respond when their lives or the lives of others are in danger without thinking twice, just making sure that they act within the parameters of the law.”
The Star