By Daanyaal Matthews

The recently released Quarterly Crime Statistics have indicated a significant decrease in crime across the Western Cape with the region experiencing a decrease in reported murder, however, while the overall crime decrease in the Western Cape have been welcomed crime ‘hotspots’, primarily those within the Cape Flats, have once more reported an increase in reported serious crime.

This has furthered discussion on whether Government, both local and national, and police are doing enough to curtail crime within communities and whether the data reported reflects the dire circumstances many within the Cape Flats find themselves in.

A reality unfounded but still mire

Analyzing the data on VOC Breakfast Dr. Simon Howell, Criminologist, has argued that the crime stats still paint dire circumstance even with the decrease indicated.

“The latest crime stats reveal that the Western Cape murder rate has decreased by 5.5%, which is from 994 to 939 murders per year, which is still 2.4 murders a day which is still ridiculous. Key offices have seen a decrease of 5.4% in terms of crime, but other areas also showed an increase, so the verdict is out there,” said Simon.

These dire circumstances, of multiple deaths reported per day, have created a sense of apathy within the community not only to the matter of crime but also how it is dealt with by the Police and Government. Speaking on Sunday Live, Lentegeur CPF Chairperson, Byron de Villiers, has argued that the report paints a reality not reflective of those witnessed by residents, stating:

‘The is more crime happening that is not being reported due to contributing factors, particularly though on the matter of crime and defenders of crime. In one sense individuals have little faith that their cases will be prosecuted, on another they have little faith in SAPS, and that is why not all cases are being reported.’

Local Government response

The Western Cape Government has welcomed the overall decrease in crime but has stressed that more work must be done with Premiere Alan Winde stating on the VOC airwaves that the implementation of LEAP officers have objectively decreased crime in certain areas, but the best means of combatting crime was facilitating job creation, stating:

‘While we must maintain and bolster our response to crime, we also need to focus on being more proactive in preventing crime. Job creation is the most effective “weapon” we have in proactively reducing and preventing crime.”

Is mob justice the answer?

While the Premieres words have been a comfort to some, the perception within the Cape Flats by certain denizens indicate that the road to repairing the relationship between Government, Police, and the community is still a monumental task with many becoming Laodicean to the circumstances they live in.

However, while some have viewed the community as bleak with little opportunity for economic or social reprieve, others have been motivated to take matters into their own hands leading to a growing sentiment that the key to resolving crime within the community is through the hands of the community itelf thus advocating for mob justice.

Dr. Howell, while being sympathetic to the plight of the community, has queried how mob justice would successfully identify criminals within the community but has extended this concern to the legal system as well, stating:

“The key concern for me is, irrespective of the justice whether it be legal or illegal whether in the courts or mob justice, can you prove without a shadow of a doubt that the person you are committing this violence to is guilty of the things you say they are? If not, then I’m afraid to justify it morally or ethically as you don’t have a means to determine if this person is guilty of the crimes they’re charged of.”