Editorial: Pinch of salt in Bheki Cele’s Kool-Aid

One very welcome consequence of the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown is the decrease in crime, as Police Minister Bheki Cele revealed this week.

Cele compared crime trends between March 29 and April 22 last year and March 27 and April 20 this year, and said that crime had plummeted by 69.4%.

He said he would give a comprehensive crime picture after the lockdown, but he lauded the decrease in contact crimes – such as murder, attempted murder and sexual offences – and trio crimes, such as carjackings, house robberies and business robberies.

Domestic crimes had dropped from 9 990 cases last year to 3 061 this year. This should all be excellent news, especially for a nation plagued by crime.

But there are a few issues with Cele’s Kool-Aid.

First. What a surprise to find out that police have monthly stats that can be whipped out and produced when the spirit moves the powers that be.

Why do we normally have to wait until September to be told about the yearly crime stats which, by the time they are released, are already outdated. If it can be done on a monthly basis, let’s do so to derive plans to fight crime.

Second. These are extraordinary circumstances, virtually a state of martial law. You can’t brag about dropping crime rates when the population is confined to their homes 24/7.

There is no one for the tsotsi to mug, no cars on the road for hijackers to seize and, with cops and the army patrolling everywhere, home invaders can’t really get away.

The drop in domestic violence and other assaults is welcome, but how sustainable is it?

The prohibition of alcohol sales, and increased police and army presence during the 35-day extended lockdown have been put forward as reasons for the reduction in crime.

Read: Bheki Cele: Crime stats vindicate alcohol ban

We believe the police minister is being disingenuous and is hellbent on pushing his puritanical line. You can’t rely on an alcohol ban forever. That’s a temporary measure.

Third, and most importantly, when the lockdown is finally lifted, what will have changed? Will police stations have been fixed?

Will the culture of corruption that lets criminals get away have been significantly diminished? Will the police’s poor investigative capacity have been beefed up and will their own internal palace politics have been dealt with?

We’ve been told that life, as we know it, will not be the same after this lockdown.

But as long as the powers that be are hellbent on pushing their own agendas and are not honest and transparent, the real issues plaguing our society will still be there long after Covid-19 has been vanquished.

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