Category: South Africa

South Africa Crime: ‘A Rainbow Soaked in Blood’ 7,000 murders in 90 days invites war zone comparison

Police in Cape Town, South Africa, arrest a suspect on Nov. 21, 2021. Citizens’ trust in the police, though, has plummeted after decades of high crime. (Courtesy of the South African Police Service.)

JOHANNESBURG—In South Africa, almost 7,000 people were murdered during the final 90 days of 2021.

During the same time period, 11,300 women and girls were raped, according to police.

The latest crime statistics for South Africa—a nation populated by 60 million people—show dramatic increases in all violent crimes, including homicide, carjacking, and armed robbery.

Opposition parties say the “horrific” statistics show that South Africa is effectively a “war zone” no longer controlled by the ruling African National Congress, but by criminals.

“With 75 murders a day now, I think it’s time to accept that our rainbow is now soaked in blood,” Bantu Holomisa, leader of the United Democratic Movement Party, told The Epoch Times, referring to what was once the symbol of hope in post-apartheid South Africa.

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