What’s new: The Chinese Embassy in South Africa said Tuesday that a total of seven Chinese citizens have been killed in about 50 days in the African country this year, due to rising violent crime. The country’s annual crime statistics report published last month showed the number of murders overall had risen to its highest level in more than a decade.
Two of the victims, former South African Qilu Association Chairman Zhong Zhiwei and his wife, were “brutally shot and killed by criminals in broad daylight” in Johannesburg on Aug. 13, the embassy said in a statement.
The embassy “strongly condemned the criminal atrocities against Chinese citizens” and has made “serious demands” to South African police in an urgent meeting, to “solve the case as soon as possible ... and punish the perpetrators severely.”
The embassy went on to warn that “everyone must attach great importance to self-safety precautions and raise the level of protection.”
As of Tuesday, four of the seven murder cases have been solved and 10 suspects have been arrested, the embassy said.
The South African National Police Commissioner Khehla John Sitole said that he would personally follow up and report the relevant progress to the Chinese side, the statement said.
The background: The country’s homicide rate has risen recently by 1.4% compared to the last 12 months, amounting to 21,325 deaths according to a police service annual crime statistics report, which translates to an average of 58 murders a day.
Contact reporter Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com) and editor Marcus Ryder (marcusryder@caixin.com)
