Attempted Murder4

Of the 29 418 attempted murders reported to the SAPS during 1998, 74.7% (21 967) involved the use of firearms. There is a downward shift in the use of firearms in attempted murders, from 86.7% in 1994 to 74.7% in 1998. The table below illustrates the use of firearms in attempted murders between 1994 and 1998:

Table 8: Attempted Murder with Firearm
1994 - 1998
  1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Total Attempted Murder 27 300 26 512 28 516 28 148 29 418
Attempted Murder with Firearm 23 682 22 035 22 383 20 933 21 967
Attempted Murders with Firearm
as a Percentage of the Total		 86.7% 83.1% 78.5% 74.4% 74.7%
SOURCE: CIAC, SAPS

The use of handguns is higher in attempted murder than in murder.5 In 1998, 80.4% of all attempted murders involving firearms were perpetrated with handguns (compared to 57.3% in the case of murder involving firearms). The table below provides a breakdown of attempted murders with firearm by province and type of firearm used for 1998:

Table 9: Attempted Murder with Firearm
Types of Firearms Used, by Province (%)
1998
  Handguns Commercial Rifle or Shotgun Military Firearm Unknown Firearm PROVINCE TOTALS
KwaZulu-Natal 25.9 31.0 47.3 31.2 27.4
Gauteng 26.6 17.2 15.9 16.8 24.7
Eastern Cape 12.2 20.7 15.2 14.3 13.0
Western Cape 11.7 9.0 3.8 18.2 12.1
North West 7.5 9.6 0.9 2.6 6.9
Northern Prov 5.7 3.5 4.1 6.0 5.6
Mpumalanga 5.3 3.2 8.8 4.9 5.2
Free State 4.1 4.9 3.2 5.0 4.3
Northern Cape 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9
TOTAL PER TYPE OF FIREARM 100% (n=17 675 ) 100%
(n= 1 282) 		100% (n=533) 100%
(n=2 477) 		100%
(n=21 967)
SOURCE: CIAC, SAPS

__________________________
4 The figures for Attempted Murder with a Firearm must be interpreted with Caution. Whereas all non-fatal attacks with firearms are recorded as Attempted Murders, attacks during which other weapons are used are recorded as serious assaults (Assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm).
5 See footnote on Attempted Murder above.

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