By Ragheema Mclean
The Western Cape has recorded the highest increase in murders among South Africa’s provinces, with 11 police stations reporting significant rises.
The latest crime statistics released on Friday revealed that 6,198 people were killed in South Africa between April and June 2024.
Meanwhile, the township of Nyanga once again topped the list of the country’s 30 murder hotspots, with 79 people killed in just three months.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu highlighted the gravity of the situation, noting that crime is generally on the rise, with murder, rape, hijacking, kidnapping for ransom, and extortion identified as the most serious concerns.
“Four of the nine provinces recorded increases in murder cases, with the highest increase recorded in the Western Cape, followed by Northwest, then the Eastern Cape, and Limpopo,” said Mchunu.
“All the top 30 police stations for murder were in only four provinces: Western Cape (11 stations), KZN (8), Eastern Cape (6), and Gauteng (5).”
Speaking on VOC News Beat show, Martin Makasi, Secretary of the Western Cape Provincial Community Policing Forum (CPF) Board, expressed frustration over these results.
“This is frustrating given the fact that there are a number of interventions that have been put in place to try and deal with the challenges faced in Nyanga,” said Makasi.
Makasi noted that the recent opening of a satellite police station at Phillipi Brown Farms as one of the measures aimed at addressing Nyanga’s crime issues.
However, despite these efforts, the area continues to rank high in crime statistics.
“We are looking at all angles in terms of how we can mitigate all the challenges expressed by that community. If we can succeed in implementing the APT programme in the Browns Farm area, it will then require us to put in the effort in ensuring that the broader community is also onboard in making their own communities safe,” Makasi added.
VOC News
Photo: VOCfm/Stockfile
