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Crime Also Kills the Economy

By

Dear Editor

The latest crime statistics, released on Friday, confirm what the people of the Eastern Cape already know: our province is under siege. Violent crime continues to shatter lives, drive businesses away, and kill jobs. There were 1,300 people murdered, and 2,341 sexual offences were recorded in just three months.

That’s an average of 14 lives lost every single day.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Premier Oscar Mabuyane to announce a zero-tolerance stance on crime in his SOPA address today. He must ensure that such commitments are backed by real action, tackling violent crime, dismantling organised syndicates, and protecting the people of this province.

The Eastern Cape remains the most dangerous province in South Africa, with a murder ratio of 19.6 per 100,000 people, the highest in the country. The statistics also confirm that six Eastern Cape police stations are now among the top 30 for murder nationwide, proving that violent crime remains out of control.

The fact that kidnappings, hijackings, and organised crime are happening so brazenly proves that criminals still feel emboldened. That is because crime intelligence in the Eastern Cape remains dangerously under-resourced. SAPS are left to respond to crime instead of preventing it.

Despite a 16.5% decrease in trio crimes, hijackings remain rampant, with 414 cases of carjackings and 600 home robberies recorded. The province also continues to suffer from organised crime syndicates, which are crippling investment and driving businesses away.

SAPS officers are doing their best but are being set up for failure without proper crime intelligence or surveillance support.

I have written to DA MP Ian Cameron, Chair of the National Police Portfolio Committee, to request that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Police scrutinise crime intelligence resources in the Eastern Cape as part of our fight for increased crime intelligence resources for our province.

We will also table a motion in the Eastern Cape Legislature calling for immediate investment in surveillance and reconnaissance technologies, such as those used successfully in the Western Cape.

Crime is not just a statistic but an economic death sentence for the Eastern Cape. Without decisive action, businesses will close, jobs will disappear, and law-abiding citizens will be left to live in fear.

The DA will fight for real crime-fighting solutions. We can no longer accept complacency and inaction while the people of the province suffer.

Regards

Yusuf Cassim MPL
DA Shadow MEC for Community Safety

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Port Elizabethan

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