With South Africa’s major cities, including Pretoria (81.8) at number two, Durban (80.9) at number three, Johannesburg ( 80.7) at number four, Port Elizabeth at number eight, and Cape Town (73.5) at 16, ranked as the most crime-ridden cities on the continent, Interpol’s Dr Jurgen Stock says more needs to be done to ensure stability of communities.
Crime Index by City 2024 (Numbeo's crime index) has also revealed that Pretoria is the second most dangerous city in the world while Joburg is ranked fourth.
Stock, during his meeting with National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola in Pretoria on Wednesday, said organised crime is a threat to the stability of communities.
“Organised crime constitute a threat to national security. Organised crime syndicates are becoming stronger, day by day. They are becoming more international and more complex. An urgent response is needed as they are threatening our communities, businesses and even our planet,” he said.
His visit was also confirmed by police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe on Wednesday.
“The Secretary-General of Interpol, Dr Jurgen Stock, is in SA for a two-day visit. He has handed over Interpol mobile devices to SAPS. These devices will assist police officers on the spot to determine if a person is illegal in the country and whether a car is stolen or hijacked,” she said.
The Numbeo’s crime index uses factors such as poverty, limited educational access, and economic inequality as key contributors to the severity of crime as residents are forced to resort to criminal activities as means of survival.
The crime rate is calculated as the number of offences per capita per year with this index, offering insights into the safety of a particular area while the index categorises crime levels as moderate (40-60), high (60-80), and very high (exceeding 80).
During an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant- General Tommy Mthombeni said collaborations were needed to stamp out crime in urban areas where it was mostly prevalent.
“We are all affected by crime, which is why collaborations are important. We need collaborations to ensure that we work closer together so that we are in a better position to fight the scourge of crime.
He added that he and his team and other government stakeholders were working hard to tackle crime.
“We are walking the talk in Gauteng because Cabinet has approved the whole government approach to solving crime which has to be linked with the National Development Plan. This is to ensure that communities feel safe,” he said.
When it comes to his strategy in fighting crime in the province, Mthombeni said there were six pillars his department had employed to wipe out the scourge of crime.
“There are six pillars. There is an integrated governmental programme. There is also early childhood development, community involvement and other elements involved. We have other projects including business against crime,” he said.
On Wednesday, IOL reported that the United States Department of the Treasury had announced sanctions against three individuals on the African continent for their alleged association with the expanded activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
It said two of the three people were based in South Africa and the third person was based in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Star