Police violence in South Africa: what do the numbers show?
Claims
Four claims about police violence in South Africa
Source: Online graphic (August 2020)
checked
Verdict
One mostly correct, two correct, one unproven
Tag: crime
Five facts: Femicide in South Africa
The murder of a university student in South Africa has led to national soul searching and debate over violence against women. Africa Check summarises the available research on the issue.
No research backs widely shared statistic about gun ownership risk in South Africa
Claim
You are four times more likely to have your gun used against you than be able to use it successfully in self-defence.
Source: Gun Safe Cities, July 2019
unproven
Verdict
There is no recent, reliable data on the topic.
Violence against South Africa’s women, children: verifying claims at a men’s summit
Claims
Five claims related to violence against women and children
Source: David Mabuza: Takuwani Riime Men’s Summit (August 2018)
checked
Verdict
Three correct, one incorrect and one unproven
No, murder rate for women in South Africa hasn’t spiked by 117%
Claim
The UN estimates 117% rise in killing of women in South Africa since 2015
Source: Al Jazeera’s Inside Story (August 2018)
incorrect
Verdict
117% is from data now withdrawn by Stats SA
Does South Africa rank third in the world for online crime, losing R2.2bn a year?
Claim
South Africa has the third highest number of cybercrime victims worldwide, losing about R2.2 billion a year in cyber attacks.
Source: Timeslive (June 2018)
unproven
Verdict
No reliable data exists to support these claims.
No way to tell that 70% of Nigerian inmates ‘have never been convicted’
Claim
About 70% of the people in Nigerian prisons have never been convicted of any crime
Source:
ThisDay newspaper (March 2018)
unproven
Verdict
Prisons service doesn’t have data on how many have been guilty of another crime before
SA’s serial murder & rape ‘ranking’ not supported by data
Claim
South Africa ranks among the world’s worst three countries – after the US and Russia – for serial murders and rapes.
Source:
SA Sunday Times newspaper
(March 2018)
unproven
Verdict
No reliable database compares serial murder & rape internationally
No evidence that a child is kidnapped every 30 seconds in South Africa
Claim
"Every 30 seconds a child is stolen in South Africa"
Source:
Facebook post
(Jan 2018)
incorrect :
Verdict
If true, million children would be kidnapped per year
checked
#5facts: SA’s top 2017 numbers
Crime, income, social grants, obesity and migrants. We picked five facts about big South African talking points in 2017.