Harare Police Station is ranked number 18 on rape cases on the top 30 list released by Minister of Police Bheki Cele on Friday 19 August.
The station registered 39 cases of rape, a decrease by 10 cases as compared to 49 cases during the same period last year.
Cele released the Quarter one crime statistics 2022/2023 in Pretoria where 9 516 rape cases were opened with police, between April and June 2022.
This is almost 500 less rape cases reported, compared to the same period last year.
Harare is second in the Western Cape just below Delft Police Station that sits at number three with 60 cases, a decrease of 12 from 72 cases during the same period last year.
The station is closely followed by Gugulethu Police Station at number 19 which also shares 39 cases, less from 44 cases during the same period last year.
On the top 30 stations list, Mfuleni is at position 25 with 35 cases, a decrease from 40 cases during the same period last year.
Cele revealed that while rape cases declined in most provinces, the North West and Northern Cape provinces are the only provinces to report increases in this crime category.
“3 780 of the rapes took place in the homes of the rapists or homes of the victims. 1 546 people were raped in public places such as streets, parks and beaches,” he said.
Cele said public transportation such as buses, taxis and trains are third most likely places of occurrence for rape cases.
Harare Community Policing Forum (CPF) chair Funeka Soldaat said what was most worrying was that the stats were not just numbers but human beings involved.
“We will always have hope that things will get better, and we finally exit this top 30 of most serious crimes.
“Khayelitsha is no longer the same in terms of activism as it used to be before, and that’s why things are like this,” said Soldaat.
She said crimes such as rape occurs between people that know one another like an uncle and people themselves have the power to fight crime not police.
