Pretoria - Police crime statistics for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 showed a 3.1% decrease in murders, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
Releasing the national crime statistics in Cape Town on Thursday, Mthethwa said he was encouraged to the see the yet another decrease in murder ratio.
There was also a decline in contact crimes (crimes against the person). Seven categories of serious crime are grouped together as contact crime.
"In fact all seven categories of contact crime witnessed a decline (this refers to murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, assault grievous bodily harm, assault common, aggravated robbery and common robbery)," he said.
These crimes decreased by 3.5% decrease in the financial year under review.
Attempted murder declined by 5.2%, assault grievous bodily harm by 4.2% and common assault by 3.4%.
