Durban - KwaZulu-Natal has been named the province with the highest prevalence of assault and experts say the problem starts at home.
According to a report on contact crimes by Stats SA, “assault hot spots” within the province are eThekwini and Mkhambathini, inland of eThekwini, as well as Ntambanana, uMhlathuze, Mfolozi and Ndwedwe.
The report, released by statistician-general, Dr Pali Lehohla, in Pretoria on Wednesday, is based on data collected during surveys conducted from 2011 to 2014/12015, aimed at providing an understanding of crime victims.
It concluded that the province where assault was most prevalent was KwaZulu-Natal, followed by the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.
“Most assault hot spots in South Africa were located in the metropolitan areas,” the report said.
It showed Gauteng had the highest percentage of sexual offences, followed by the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape, but the municipality of eThekwini was identified as a “sexual offences hot spot” and a “murder hot spot”.
General conclusions included that female-headed households were more likely to suffer murder than male-headed households and that most of these types of crime were likely to occur in the home or among people who knew each other and while alcohol or drugs were present. The type of home or settlement was not found to have any influence.
“This implies that regardless of whatever crime strategies the police adopt, many of these crimes will continue to occur unless behaviour and value change takes place in society,” it said.
KwaZulu-Natal violence monitor, Mary de Haas, said this was a “very violent province”.
“The whole country is violent, but we had a lot of traumatised people here a generation ago,” she said.
Children of the 1980s and 1990s grew up surrounded by violence and monitors at that time predicted the current situation.
She agreed that “these things start in the family”.
There was not enough stable adult care for children and the general absence of male role models was a huge problem.
The issue was cyclical and children who saw violence at home, perpetuated this.
De Haas said community leaders - church leaders and teachers, in particular - needed to step in as role models. And the government needed to place a “focus on the family” and start engaging with the community.
Assault
Victims of assault were most likely to be single, aged between 16 and 34 and be somewhat educated.
The most common place for assault to take place for men was in the street, and at home for women.
The highest percentage of offenders were aged between 15 and 34 and their motives were most commonly cited as “anger towards a person and/or his or her family, and jealousy”.
In more than 85% of assaults, a weapon was used, the most common being a knife and assault was one of the most common causes of unnatural death, particularly among young men.
Sexual offences
Victims of sexual offences are most likely to be single and young and most incidents occurred at home.
People known to the victims were the main perpetrators and the majority of incidents were committed by spouses or lovers.
“While individuals who experienced a sexual offence mostly indicated the motive behind victimisation was anger towards them, a worrying factor is that those that occurred at home were due to attempted rape,” the report said.
Offenders were usually aged 15 to 34. A knife was most commonly used during sexual offences outside the home and other forms of coercion in the home.
Jealousy was thought to be the main motive for murder committed by people aged 15 to 34, and money by people aged between 35 and 54. In urban metros, guns were the most common weapons and in rural areas, a knife.
The report called for media and advocacy campaigns to be established in schools, workplaces and communities to raise awareness about existing laws. Legal frameworks should be established to strengthen women’s civil rights related to divorce, child support and custody.
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