Harsher penalties, change in police force needed to tackle crime
Political parties say tougher punishment and an overhaul of the police service are what South Africa needs to turn its crime situation around.
They have been reacting to the police's latest crime statistics, which show that KwaZulu-Natal's recorded the highest number of murders in the country in the past financial year.
The figure has also gone up by more than 360 and now stands at just over 4 380.
"What we need to have is a police service that is better staffed, the retraining of police officers to serve and protect with pride, hiring people that have a passion for keeping our community safe and we need to ensure that the justice system works," the DA's Rishigen Viranna said.
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The IFP's Narend Singh has reiterated the party's views on capital punishment.
"We've seen that the current deterrence for crime - such as life sentences - are just not helping us reducing these statistics. If the death penalty is going to be a deterrence - then why not consider it," he said.
There were also more than 8700 cases of sexual offences reported in KwaZulu-Natal.
Meanwhile, Nonhlanhla Gabela, who is with the ruling ANC, says perpetrators should not be let off the hook.
"We want government to come up with a system that will deny those who have abused women's rights - individual and constitutional - in South Africa. Maybe, they can minimise those killings and abuse against women," Gabela said.
You can find Newswatch's live analysis of the crime stats on the East Coast Breakfast, here.