CAPE TOWN – Local Community Policing Forum (CPF) members have expressed concern over the third-quarter crime statistics released by Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia in Pretoria on Friday, 20 February. The statistics cover the period from October to December last year.
CPF leaders say much more needs to be done to address crime in their respective areas. City Vision identified several police stations ranking among the top two in the province for murder, contact crime and carjacking.
These include Mfuleni, Nyanga and Lingelethu-West police stations.
Mfuleni ranks first nationally and provincially for murder
Mfuleni Police Station ranks first both nationally and provincially for murder. A total of 75 cases were reported between October and December last year, compared to 73 cases during the same period in 2024 — an increase of two cases (2.5%).
It is followed by Nyanga Police Station, which recorded 70 murder cases between October and December last year, up from 54 cases in the same period in 2024. This reflects an increase of 16 cases (29.6%).
In the contact crime category, Mfuleni Police Station also topped both national and provincial rankings, with 1 177 cases reported between October and December last year. This represents an increase of 26 cases (2.3%) from the 1 151 cases reported during the same period in 2024.
Nyanga ranked fifth nationally and third provincially in contact crime, with 1 021 cases reported during the period under review, compared to 960 cases in the same period in 2024 an increase of 61 cases (6.4%).
Lingelethu-West leads province in carjacking cases
Regarding carjacking, Lingelethu-West Police Station leads in the province and ranks sixth nationally. The station recorded 57 cases between October and December last year, down from 69 cases in the same period in 2024 — a decrease of 12 cases (17.4%).
CPF leaders call for urgent crime prevention strategies
Mfuleni Police Station followed, ranking third in the province and 15th nationally, with 46 cases reported between October and December last year, compared to 45 cases in the same period in 2024.
Mfuleni CPF chairperson Frans Mashaba said much work remains to be done within the Mfuleni policing precinct. He highlighted extortion and gang-related violence as significant contributors to the rise in murder cases. Mashaba identified Wesbank as one of the hotspot areas within the precinct.
“There are areas, particularly informal settlements, where police vans cannot access, and there is no lighting at night, making patrols difficult. The size of Mfuleni also has an impact, as it is too large. We need our own fully resourced police station instead of depending on Blue Downs.
“Most incidents occur at night, especially over weekends,” he added, urging community members to report suspicious activities to the police.
Nyanga CPF secretary Dumisani Qwebe said crime should be viewed as a societal issue rather than solely a policing matter.
“We cannot be satisfied when the number of people being killed continues to increase,” he said.
Extortion and taxi violence fuel rising murder numbers
Qwebe cited extortion and taxi-related violence as major contributors to escalating murder figures. He suggested returning to basic crime-prevention strategies, including hosting community imbizos and visiting taverns and shebeens, where many incidents originate.
“Many crime incidents occur while people are under the influence of alcohol. The community must work together with police officers to fight crime.”
Lingelethu-West CPF chairperson Lunga Guza said it was concerning that his station topped the provincial carjacking statistics.
“We are worried about these numbers because in many carjacking cases people lose their lives or are injured. We cannot take this lightly. However, we appeal to the community to work with officers to address crime.”
He also cited a lack of resources as one of the key challenges hindering effective crime prevention in the precinct.
