Gauteng is not a safe place for its residents as shocking high crime statistics raise concerns
23 February 2022
Gauteng is no longer a safe place for its residents and their belongings according to the recently released crime statistics. This raises great concern about our resident's safety while at home and walking or driving on roads. There has been a shocking increase in the following Gauteng crime stats; murder, robbery at residential premises, kidnapping, carjacking, truck hijacking, attempted murder, bank robbery, theft of a motor vehicle/motorcycle and commercial crimes.
This is a clear indication that the lives of Gauteng residents are in danger and law enforcement agencies are unable to ensure their safety and to prevent crime.
This information was revealed in the SAPS crime statistics for the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year.
According to the crime stats, murder cases have increased drastically by 243 cases in Gauteng from 1327 in the third quarter for the 2020/21 financial year to 1570 in the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year. Attempted murder has also increased from 1323 in the third quarter of the 2020/21 financial year to 1397 in the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year.
Carjackings have also increased by 478 cases to 2824 compared to 2346 in the third quarter of the 2020/21 financial year. There is also an increase in robberies at residential premises in Gauteng, up by 51 cases from 1941 in the third quarter of the previous financial year to 1992 in the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year.
Kidnapping cases have doubled in Gauteng from 568 in the third quarter of the previous financial year to 1200 in the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year.
These crime statistics are worrying and clearly indicates that Gauteng lacks adequate policing and police visibility putting the lives of innocent residents at serious risk.
Furthermore, in terms of top 30 stations of community-reported serious crimes, Gauteng is the second on the list with Honeydew police station, number three is Johannesburg Central police station, number nine is Temba and number 10 is Randfontein police station. The Honeydew police station is also leading in Gauteng in terms of a high number of cases of robberies at residential premises.
Gauteng’s Johannesburg Central police station is leading in terms of the top 30 police stations nationally for reported contact crimes. This police station has had a huge increase in contact crime cases of 1079 - an increase of 57 cases compared to the period October to December of the 2020/21 financial year which had 1022 cases. Alexandra police station is at number two with 985 cases and has increased by 107 cases compared to the third quarter of the 2020/21 financial year.
Alexandra police station is also leading in Gauteng in terms of police stations with top murder cases and sits at number eight nationally. Despite a slight decrease in rape cases in Gauteng, the Alexandra police station has recorded a huge increase in rape cases from 39 cases in the third quarter of the previous financial year to 59 in the current financial year.
The only alternative solution to ensure the safety of our residents is to adopt DA’s Community Safety Oversight Bill to improve police intelligence, to fight and prevent crime.
The DA demands that both the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko and SAPS Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela intervene in the police stations that have recorded an increase in serious crimes such as Alexandra, Honeydew and Johannesburg central to ensure that these police stations are adequately equipped to prevent and fight crime. They should also equip the crime intelligence unit working on serious crimes with resources and more personnel.
Issued by Michael Shackleton, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety, 23 February 2022
