Crime levels in the country are a national problem and not only the responsibility of police and government, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Wednesday.

Speaking at an Institute of Security Studies seminar in Pretoria following the release of the annual crime statistics on Monday, Nqakula said South Africans needed to work together and realise the ideals of "South Africanness".

"Crime is a problem for our nation. Why are we not uniting? It is an attack on all of us," he said.

He was "very worried" about the number of crimes committed by children.

Police could not be held responsible for the socio-economic conditions of the children and what had led them to become criminals.

A number of the attacks were alcohol and drug-related and communities were aware of it.

"The communities know how to deal with drugs... [and] the situation of the children."

Referring to the recent xenophobic attacks, Nqakula said he did not believe it was a sudden outbreak of tension.

There had always been tension between locals and people moving in from elsewhere, he said referring to internal migration such as from the Eastern Cape to Gauteng.

Sapa