In the first three months of this year, the South African Police Service recorded a national rate of 8.2 murders per 100,000 people.

58 people were still killed every day in South Africa between January and March this year. Murder rates are exceptionally high in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

In total, 5,181 people were murdered between January and March:

* 1,223 in Gauteng

* 1,058 in KwaZulu-Natal

* 983 in Western Cape

* 949 in the Eastern Cape

* 253 in Mpumalanga

* 271 in North West

* 192 in Free State

* 175 in Limpopo

* 77 in Northern Cape

Most murders take place in public places (2,587) or the homes of a perpetrator or victim (1,523). 160 murders take place at liquor outlets.

The latest stats show the need for continued efforts to improve policing, crime intelligence, investigation, and prosecution.

Read the full GroundUp article here.