Durban - Pietermaritzburg may be considered a Sleepy Hollow but according to research by the Numbeo Crime Index, the city is the most dangerous in South Africa followed by Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. It also found that the country was the third most dangerous in the world, topped by Venezuela and South Sudan.
Numbeo relied on user input as well as data manually collected from authoritative resources.
According to the statistics, Pietermaritzburg had a safety score of 12.90 and a crime score of 87.10.
Johannesburg’s safety score was 16.64 and the crime score 83.36. Pretoria’s was 19.23 against 80.77 and Durban’s 20.10 to 79.90.
Many Pietermaritzburg residents POST spoke to said they were not surprised by the findings.
A Copesville resident, who declined to be named, said the area erupted into violence last week as protesters took to the streets over the lack of service delivery and to vent their unhappiness with a councillor.
As a result, many residents could not get to work as roads were blocked with tyres and boulders. Cars were stoned.
“My neighbour’s and a relative’s car windscreens were damaged,” said a mother of two, a human resource officer.
“The taxis don’t come into certain areas and they drop passengers off on the main road, which leaves them vulnerable to crime. House robberies are also a problem.
“A month ago, a neighbour’s radio system was stolen from his car and a little girl was robbed. Just last week a 77-year-old fought off three robbers in town. Personally, I would never walk in the CBD. I’m afraid.”
She said her child of 17 was surrounded by a group of men after school last year and searched for money.
The resident said it was difficult to say what the way forward was. “I can say visible policing but there is only so much the police can do. We must be more vigilant.”
Rikesh Ishwarlall, a draughtsman, of Raisethorpe, added: “I have seen house-breaking, theft, robbery, murder, rape and drug-related activity escalate over the past 10 years.
“Pietermaritzburg has grown in population but the police force numbers look the same from back then.”
He said he had started a WhatsApp group called Actions (Anti-Crime Team In Our Northern Suburbs) in July last year aimed at speaking to residents directly about crime in the areas where they lived.
It was also used as a cautionary measure to alert members of strange activity and municipal issues.
“Just recently, a taxi boss I grew up with in Northdale, was gunned down.
“Every other day you hear of something happening, whether it’s someone being robbed or hijacked.”
Ishwarlall encouraged residents to report crime, no matter how small they thought the incident was.
“If you don’t, it does not form part of the statistics in the area and the police will not worry. Therefore every crime must be reported, no matter how petty you think it is.”
Ishwarlall also advised that residents treat every passer-by as a potential criminal.
“Unfortunately, that is the sad reality of the times we live in.”
Kosheek Singh, also of Raisethorpe, said: “The crime is high in the northern suburbs (Raisethorpe, Northdale, Orient Heights, Allandale, Bombay Heights, Copesville, Mountview and Darjeeling Heights).
“These are the areas, which have been hotspots for petty crimes like snatching of handbags, cellphones, jewellery and other valuables from residents boarding taxis or walking home.
“The serious crimes are car hijackings, house burglaries, armed robberies, stabbings and shootings. With this, we have compounded issues of cable theft and illegal electricity connections.
“Statistics at the local police station may differ on actual crimes in the area due to the fact that victims don’t want to report crimes as they feel they will become victims once the perpetrators discover cases have been opened. This leaves the authorities with no options to prosecute, leading to escalation in crime.”
Singh said other issues that compounded and aided criminal activity in the northern suburbs were the lack of maintenance of vacant land and lack of street lights.
“This makes it difficult for neighbourhood watches and the police to combat crime as criminals easily find hiding places.”
He added that there had been an influx of foreigners in informal settlements, who were kingpins in house robberies.
A recent bust, he said, had taken place in the Privet Road Informal Settlement.
Danny Chetty, a private consultant from Dunveria, said poor service delivery, unemployment and substance abuse, contributed to increased crime.
“We in KZN especially, have a culture that seems to dictate a more violent approach in expressing our discontentment. The police, and maybe the army should intervene and have a stronger presence. And now is the time for all councillors from all political parties to sit down and plot a common way forward to bring back our city of choice.”
The DA’s Msunduzi mayoral candidate, Mergen Chetty, said that sadly, when he was told Pietermaritzburg was the most dangerous city, he too was not fazed considering the recent service delivery strikes, house breakings and gruesome murders that had taken place.
“Msunduzi’s crime statistics, coupled with the lawlessness on public roads and the unrest in Copesville, and, not so long ago by ANC supporters venting anger at a breakdown in service delivery in Sobantu, is unacceptable.
“Precious human life is lost through cold blooded murders, tragic accidents on poorly maintained streets and indifference to the plight of the people by ignoring service delivery issues.
“All have a common denominator: inside power struggles resulting in ratepayers being the casualties. The home-grown economy suffers as workers are intimidated.”
He said community safety must not be compromised.
“A united fight against crime and social ills should remain the emphasis.”
Mergen Chetty added that under-resourced police stations resulted in the police failing to respond to emergencies timeously.
He said residents must be encouraged to save the city from destruction.
Msunduzi Speaker Babu Baijoo declined to comment on the findings.
He said he had not seen a comprehensive report on Pietermaritzburg allegedly being the most dangerous city in the country.
Police spokesperson Major Shooz Magudulela said they distanced themselves from the research, “as we don’t know how it was conducted and what methodology was used”.
For more, visit: http://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings.jsp
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