OVER the past few months, various crimes including murder, robbery, housebreaking and hijackings, have been on the increase, with several areas in KwaZulu-Natal(KZN) having the highest number of cases reported at police stations.
This is according the latest SAPS crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year (April 2024 to June 2024).
According to the statistics, among the police stations which had the highest number of reported cases in the province were in Chatsworth, Phoenix and Verulam. They were listed among the top 30 stations in the country for various crimes.
Furthermore, over the three-month period, there were 6198 murders - with 1455 of those occurring in KZN.
There were also 1811 attempted murders, 6858 common assaults, and 5893 robberies with aggravating circumstances, reported in the province.
Of the 5438 hijackings in the country, 727 occurred in KZN. There were also 1401 vehicles stolen and 2595 cases of theft out of or from vehicles.
A total of 6054 burglaries and 1184 robberies have been reported to have occurred at residential properties.
During the three-month period, Phoenix had the second highest number of serious crimes reported in the province with a total of 1825 and Chatsworth, which was sixth, reported 1392 cases.
In respect of contact crimes (murder/attempted murder/all types of assault), Phoenix was sixth in the province with 629 cases, and Chatsworth was ninth with 578 cases.
Verulam was fifth in KZN with 37 murders reported during this period.
Phoenix was first in the province with 288 cases of common assault, while Chatsworth was fifth with 268.
In terms of robbery with aggravating circumstances, Verulam was fourth in the province with 184 cases, followed by Phoenix (fifth) with 174 cases.
However, for crime fighters in communities, both security companies and community policing forums(CPFs), these statistics were a minor reflection of their daily reality.
Verulam:
The Verulam Community Policing Forum (CPF) declined to comment.
However, Prem Balram, head of Reaction Unit South Africa(Rusa), said crime in Verulam had “drastically” increased this year - in comparison to previous years.
“The crime statistics are based on the cases that are reported. However, there are many that are not reported to police. For example, we receive about 120 calls a day from the public about some type of crime, be it serious or petty. But, only two or three cases are actually opened from these calls. Therefore, reported crimes are low, but actual crimes are even higher.”
Balram said some of the crimes that were on the rise included armed robberies, shootings - mainly drive-bys and theft of motor vehicles.
“One of the areas where most of the crime seems to be occurring is in and around the Verulam CBD area. Many are drug-related where people are now being stabbed and robbed. We also see more murders, and in some cases victims are being assaulted, tied and thrown over bridges. We have recovered several dumped bodies.
“Criminals have also become quite brazen. They are armed with knives and guns including rifles. They are also not afraid to open fire even in house robberies. It is concerning that criminals are becoming more violent nowadays,” he said.
Balram added that Rusa held joint operations with the Verulam police and business forums to curb the crime in the area.
“These joint operations have produced positive recovery and successful arrests. We also meet regularly to share intelligence.”
Phoenix:
Mark Nadesan, vice-chairperson of Phoenix CPF, said there had been a spike in armed robberies since earlier this year.
“We are seeing more ‘personal robberies’. These are workers or people that are coming under attack either while waiting for their transport in the mornings to go to work or when they are walking to their homes. There also seems to be a gang from out of the area that is terrorising residents and robbing them of their cellphones, wallets, purses, and other valuables. We are working with police to nab them.
“However, we have seen a decrease in hijackings and this can be attributed to patrols by the CPF and police. But, there is seemingly an increase in theft of or out of vehicles. These usually occur in the early mornings. We also have petty crimes, mainly copper pipe theft. We are concerned though that these criminals have become more brazen and armed. They are not afraid to shoot or stab for goods which they often sell to get their drug fix,” he said.
Nadesan said the CPF encouraged the community to report crimes and to join their local neighbourhood watch.
“We will only be able to curb crime in our communities if we work together. We need the community to all be the eyes and ears for the police. They must also report all illegal activities.
“The CPF and police are always working together to find ways to decrease crime. We are seeing that a drop in crime in some areas where members have changed their patrolling times and are more visible together with police during the ‘peak crime hours’,” he said.
Visibility:
Gareth Naidoo, spokesperson for KZN VIP Protection Services, said syndicate crimes were controlled due to high visibility of security forces and police in the area.
“However, there is an increase in petty crimes like copper theft, theft out of vehicles and homes, as well as housebreakings, which all relate mostly to scrapyard and so-called pawn shops who purchase these stolen goods.”
He said, however, in recent weeks, there was an increase in murder and attempted murder. In under a month, more than five people were shot and killed in drive-by shootings.
“The increase in shootings could be fuelled by upcoming turf wars and possibly gang-related or people dealing with high profile cases,” he said.
Chatsworth:
Dhevan Govindasamy, tactical unit manager of PT Alarms Fire and Security, said hijacking and theft of motor vehicles have been on the rise for the past three months.
“We have definitely responded to more reports of hijackings - with the victims being taken in recent months. Apart from this, petty theft such as copper taps and pipes being stolen have also increased.
“These crimes usually occur in the early morning hours or late evenings. However, theft of vehicles and hijackings are occurring mainly during the day,” he said.
Govindasamy added that the criminals were becoming more brazen.
“In the majority of the hijackings, the suspects are heavily armed.”
Govindasamy said while murder and attempted murder were not on the rise, there were incidents.
He added that they were working closely with authorities including the CPF, increased their patrols and hosted motorcades to create awareness.
The Chatsworth CPF did not comment at the time of going to print.
Crime analysis
Mary de Haas, a violence monitor in KZN, said the latest statistics were “probably not an accurate reflection”.
“Other research has shown that many crimes, for example, house robberies, may not be reported and sexual violence crimes are usually under-reported. But, this is a long-standing general problem.
“However, we don’t need statistics to tell us that levels of violent crime, especially murder, are far too high, and that rape, even of children, is a serious problem,” she said.
De Haas said the reasons for the high levels of crime relate to policing.
“It is riddled with corruption. You only need a few corrupt people at a station collaborating with criminals, including drug dealers, to risk the lives of others, including their colleagues. This also stems from corrupt recruitment, oversight and often bad management. Furthermore, dysfunctional crime intelligence which has been allowed to run down and has, for years, served political rather than anti-crime purposes in some areas can also be blamed.”
De Haas said to eradicate crime, the recommendations made in the National Development Plan(NDP) 2030 must be implemented.
This includes professionalising the police by enforcing the code of conduct and a police code of ethics, among others.
“We must implement the policy represented in the NDP. There is also a need for improved controls over gun access starting with those in the custody of the police and the security industry.”