Crime has dropped in Khayelitsha by 70%, but do people really feel safe? Photo: Michiel van Balen via Flickr
The government recently released the crime statistics for South Africa as was recorded from April 2009 to May 2010. According to the SAPS incidences of crime have decreased in most categories.
The murder rate dropped with 8.6% and attempted murders occurred 6.1% less.
This could possibly be due to more visible policing in the run up to the 2010 World Cup. It is expected that next year’s figures will be even better, because it will include the stats from the period in which the Soccer World Cup was held in South Africa.
Before the stats were released, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said that the statistics were not meant for “political point scoring”, according to a report by IOL. This should definitely be the case. What matters most is whether people actually feel safe in South Africa.
Recently, when it was revealed that crime in Khayelitsha had been reduced by 70% in the last five years, News24 reported on some political bickering between the DA and the ANC about which party actually was responsible for the reduction. (more…)
