As per the statistics, the exact number of people killed in the nation in the first three months of 2023 stands at a whopping 6,289.
As per the South African Minister of Police Bheki Cele child murders were down by around 20%.
The 6,289 murders from January and March mean that the murder rate has actually gone up by 3.4% for the same period last year, reports AFP.
The number of rapes in Africa has also declined slightly by 2.8%. However, in spite of the falling numbers, more than 10,500 cases were still reported in the first quarter of this year.
The South African Minister of Police stated that there was a "stubborn increase" in cash-in-transit robberies. The said robberies have increased by more than 20%, with 64 cases reported.
It is not just heinous crimes like murders and rapes, common robberies, assaults and attempted murders also saw a rampant increase in numbers.
Despite the high murder rate, the authorities claim that the "overall picture is improving." Speaking at a press conference, South African Minister of Police Bheki Cele said: "We are gradually gaining back the ground from criminals."
Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates. As per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's 2019 Global Study on Homicide, the average global rate of murders stands at 6.1 victims per 100,000 people. However, Africa's homicide rate is more than double at 13 victims per 100,000 people.