1/ FACT CHECK: Were there only 21000 murders between 1948 and 1994?

INCORRECT.

Between 1948 and 1993, SAPS Annual Reports suggested there were approx 308000 murders, of which 21000 murders were deemed as being politically motivated.

https://twitter.com/hawk_montgomery/status/1281110268525699073?s=21

2/ Between 1976 and 1993, the SAPS did not include crime stats from the homelands. UCT criminologist, Anine Kriegler, estimates that up to 10000 murders a year weren’t recorded from the homelands.

It was also not possible to accurately record murder stats without a proper

3/ census count, thus making it difficult to estimate murder rates before 1994.

A census count estimated that 22.5m people lived within the jurisdictions of South Africa as at 1994. A further estimated 16.5m lived across 10 homelands as at 1994.

In 1993, the SAPS recorded

4/ 17467 murders within SAPS jurisdictions.

Based on these murders, you can determine a murder rate:

((17467/22500000) x 100000) = 78/100000

In 1992, the SAPS recorded 16067 murders. The SAPS recorded a total of 33534 murders in 92 & 93, thus debunking the claim that 21000

5/ murders took place under the governance of the National Party.

It should also be noted that 26832 murders were recorded by the SAPS in 1994. This included murders from the former homelands for the first time since the mid 70s.

6/ During the 1980s, murders and crime were rife in SA. Roughly 85000 murders were recorded within SAPS jurisdictions between 1980 - 1989.

It should also be noted that SA’s murder rates were higher than global averages from the 1950s. During the 70s, murder rates were anywhere

7/ between 30 - 40/100000. During the 80s, murder rates were between 50-60/100000.

For those interested in reading up on crime stats and trends, get yourself a copy of Anine Kriegler’s “A Citizens Guide to Crime Trends in SA”.