S. Africa Still One of World's Most Violent Countries: UN Report

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 18, 2002

S. Africa Still One of World's Most Violent Countries: UN Report

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South Africa may be the world's biggest dagga trafficker and consumes more cocaine than any other country in Africa, and is one of the most violent countries in the world, according to a new report by the United Nation's southern Africa office on drugs and crime.

The major new profile on the country also said Johannesburg is safer than Cape Town and that South Africa still experiences on ofthe highest rates of rape and violent crime in the world, Sunday'sCity Press reported.

Murders are decreasing, with almost a third less murders now than in 1994, but attempted murders remain constant, fueled in part by massive firearm use and the doubling of firearm theft since 1994.

The international criminal police organization Interpol places South Africa as one of the top four source countries for dagga andas the biggest dagga trafficker into the United Kingdom.

Cocaine and heroin use began among upper and middle-income consumers, but has now spread to poor communities.

Heroin use is growing rapidly among schoolchildren, especially "within suburban school-going youth," but is spreading quickly into poor communities.

The Western Cape is the most crime-ridden province, with Gauteng province coming in second. The two provinces have the highest rates of violent crime - murder, aggravated robbery and serious assault and residential and business break-ins.

The province with the least crime is Limpopo.

Johannesburg residents are the most likely to be attacked by a criminal, with 34 percent of citizens reporting assaults, sexual offences and violent robberies from 1992 to 1996.

The figure dropped to 30 percent in 2000 but fear has increased.

"Of the nearly two and half million (nationally) recorded crimes in 2000, 1,455,895 went 'unsolved' and half a million caseswere withdrawn. Of the 609,928 cases that were sent to court, 211,762 ended in a conviction of the accused," the report notes.

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