CAPE TOWN – In a surge of violent crime Cape Town suburb Kraaifontein emerged as the second most dangerous place in South Africa, and in the Western Cape respectively as the terrorized community continues to grapple with both violent and property crime.
This according to the latest national crime statistics for the first and second quarters — spanning from April to September this year.
Kraaifontein experienced significant criminal activity during the reporting period, with violent crimes dominating the statistics. Murder cases reached 106, while sexual offences totalled 100 incidents. Attempted murder accounted for 69 cases, and assault emerged as the most frequently reported violent crime with 506 incidents. Property-related crimes also presented substantial challenges, with aggravated robbery cases numbering 112.
Home burglaries proved particularly concerning, with 128 reported incidents, as did home robberies with 54 households recorded cases.
Business-related crimes included 10 robbery incidents and 22 burglary cases targeting commercial establishments. Vehicle-related crime manifested in 25 carjacking incidents, highlighting the ongoing threat to motorists in the area. The statistics reflect a community grappling with both violent and property crimes across residential, commercial, and public spaces.
The majority of the murders in the Western Cape are gun related. The provincial government, along with the City of Cape Town, have long been calling for investigative powers on firearms.
Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde was shocked and outraged by the murder rates in the province, saying that cooperative and locally-managed policing programmes to reduce murder rates are in urgent need to by funded by national government for implementation in every single policing precinct.
“The majority of the murders in the Western Cape are gun related. The provincial government, along with the City of Cape Town, have long been calling for investigative powers on firearms. Our success with Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) now adds urgency and credibility to this request – we can get illegal guns off our streets,” he said.
Law enforcement redeployed
However, the LEAP programme formerly fully deployed in Kraaifontein as one of the murder hotspots in Cape Town, was partly withdrawn from the area in September 2024 and redeployed in other areas such as Delft, Khayelitsha, Philippi East, Nyanga, Mitchells Plain, and Gugulethu, which was at the time identified as the worst crime areas in the metro, something that rightly caused concern among local residents.
The Western Cape Government also welcomed acting minister of Police Cachalia’s support for the initiatives that are being implemented in the province. The Premier noted, “We have always been willing to work with national government to address this crisis. We must continue to build on the constructive relationship we have built with minister Cachalia and his team. But now the minister and his colleagues in national government’s justice and security cluster need to do more and make the hard decisions. The evidence is compelling, the time is now.”
We cannot ignore the reality that violent crime, and murder remain unacceptably high.
Policing oversight and community safety minister Anroux Marais said, “We cannot ignore the reality that violent crime, and murder remain unacceptably high. Even more troubling is the devastating role that illegal firearms play in sustaining this ongoing onslaught. The South African Police Service (SAPS), together with all law enforcement agencies, including LEAP, must intensify efforts to remove illegal firearms from our streets and ensure the successful prosecution of those who manufacture, distribute, and supply these weapons. By strengthening violence-prevention initiatives and fostering holistic development, we aim to ensure that people receive the support they need to build meaningful, dignified lives.”
TygerBurger reached out to the Tygerburg CPF sub-cluster for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication
