Crime in South Africa dropped by up to 40% during the first three months of its lockdown, official figures show.
The police minister said most types of crimes went down between April and June – including sexual assault and arson.
He added that a controversial alcohol ban during the coronavirus lockdown had helped, but that attacks on liquor stores had increased in the pandemic.
South Africa has among the world’s highest crime rates. It has recorded over half the Covid-19 cases in Africa.
More than 500,000 infections and 11,000 deaths have been reported in the country – although BBC Africa Editor Mary Harper says this may be because of its reliable testing rates.
Police Minister Bheki Cele told reporters on Friday that the figures “paint a never-seen-before ‘rosy’ picture of a peaceful South Africa experiencing a “crime holiday”.
“These statistics show major decreases in all crime categories compared to the same comparative period last year,” he said. “A 40.4% decrease in the number of rape cases were reported during the three months.”
-BBC NEWS
