Police: Murders in South Africa down but about 50 still killed per day, rape cases increase

SAfrica: Murder down; rape and house robberies up

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa’s police minister says the country’s murder rate has declined but that more rapes and house robberies were reported.

The government has been desperate to show crime is dropping ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Nathi Mthethwa says progress has been made to bring South Africa’s high crime rate down but that more needs to be done.

Statistics released Tuesday show that murders decreased by 3.4 percent. But 18,000 people are still being killed each year — about 50 per day.

South Africa’s reputation for having one of the worst rates of rape in the world will be reinforced with a 10.1 percent increase in sexual offenses.

And house robberies increased by 27.33 percent from February 2008 to March 2009.