Approximately 300 more murders per month are committed in South Africa in comparison to the death toll as a result of the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq. According to AfriForum, about 1 400 murders take place in South Africa every month, while the death toll in Iraq rose steeply during February with more than 1 103 deaths. However, it is still less than the monthly figure in South Africa. The death toll in Iraq for February was announced this past week by Nickolay Mladenov of the United Nations (UN).     

“South Africa has a tendency of a war zone when it comes to murder figures. According to the 2013/2014 crime statistics of South Africa, approximately 47 murders are committed on a daily basis in the country, in other words there are about 1 400 per month,” said Ian Cameron, Head of Community Safety at AfriForum.

According to Cameron, the comparison is important seeing as it serves as evidence that the police in South Africa is losing the battle against violent crime and that South Africans should start looking after their safety themselves. Cameron further mentioned that according to the Iraq Body Count (IBC) about 17 049 people lost their lives in Iraq during 2014 and according to the 2013/2014 statistics of the South African Police Service (SAPS), 17 068 in South Africa. These figures indicate that it is not too farfetched to compare South Africa with a war-stricken area.

 “There where the police is doing its best to combat crime, we must doing everything in our ability to help, but communities should take responsibility themselves with regards to their safety. The state fails in its duty to safeguard citizens,” concluded Cameron.