The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has expressed deep concern following the release of the Victims of Crime Report by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA).
The report paints a bleak picture of the current state of crime in South Africa.
According to this report, during the 2023/24 Financial Year, an estimated 1,5 million incidences of housebreaking occurred, affecting 1,1 million households in South Africa.
The report further states that an estimated 263 000 incidences of home robberies occurred, affecting 209 000 households during the period under review.
These figures speak volumes about the need for urgent and practical interventions to turn the tide on crime in South Africa as the safety and well being of residents seem to be at a much greater risk.
The high levels of crime in South Africa and Gauteng not only threatens the country’s sense of security, but also undermines the quality of life we strive to maintain as residents.
The report also highlights that an estimated 1,4 million incidences of theft of personal property occurred in 2023/24, affecting 1,3 million individuals aged 16 years and older. A total of 443 000 individuals experienced street robbery with an estimated 497 000 incidences according to the report and 295 000 individuals experienced assault in a total of 506 000 incidences.
The Committee is of the view that it is crucial that residents work together alongside law enforcement and community leaders to develop effective strategies to combat crime and restore peace in our communities.
In response to these alarming trends, the Committee fully supports the decision by the Government of Provincial Unity to prioritize crime-fighting efforts by moving this responsibility to the Office of the Premier.
This strategic shift represents a significant step towards enhancing accountability and ensuring that crime prevention remains at the forefront of the provincial agenda.
The Committee believes that this move will enable more focused and coordinated efforts to address the root causes of crime and improve community safety across Gauteng.
This will allow the Committee to directly hold the Premier accountable on issues of crime in the Province. The Committee is confident that by holding the Premier directly accountable for crime-related issues, we will see tangible improvements in the safety and security of our communities
The Premier will for the first time since this move, appear before the Committee next month together with the Provincial Police Commissioner to brief the Committee on Gauteng Crime Stats. This engagement will provide an opportunity to discuss the latest crime statistics in Gauteng and review the government’s comprehensive plans to combat crime effectively.
The Committee looks forward to this briefing, which will give the residents of Gauteng a clearer understanding of the steps being taken to ensure their safety.
ISSUED BY GPL‘S MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY, HONOURABLE BANDILE MASUKU
