Five SA cities in the top 20 most crime-ridden

Five cities in SA have been listed among the top 20 crime-ridden places in the world, according to the Crime Index by City 2024. A Cape Argus report notes that earlier this year, Police Minister Bheki Cele released alarming crime statistics for the third quarter of the financial year 2023/24, showing that communities across SA are under siege from violent criminals in major cities. Now, the Crime Index by City 2024 report has revealed that Pretoria is the second most dangerous city in the world. Durban and Johannesburg follow at number three and four respectively. Gqeberha is at number eight, with Cape Town ranking at 18, meaning SA has the highest number of most dangerous cities in the world’s top 20. Speaking to the The Star yesterday, criminologist, Professor Kholofelo Rakubu, said no single factor could explain the high levels of violence or violent crime in SA. ‘Easy availability of firearms played a central role in the rapid growth of violent crime in the country,’ Rakubu said. ‘Violence has become normalised and widely accepted as a means of dealing with frustration and conflict,’ she added. ‘Moreover, corruption and increasingly sophisticated organised crime networks continue to aggravate SA’s efforts to combat illicit trade,’ she added. ‘Although there are policies in place to prevent crime, there are not enough resources in place to ensure efficient implementation of the policies,’ noted Rakubu.