By Zandile Khumalo.
Statician-General Risenga Maluleke has painted a grim picture of the state of safety in South Africa.
According to Maluleke, many people do not feel safe walking in their neighborhoods during the day or at night, which may be attributed to the high levels of crime.
Maluleke revealed this on Tuesday, 27 August when he presented the results of the Victims of Crime Report from the Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS) 2023 to 2024.
According to the report, which used a sample size of 30 000 people, respondents were asked how safe they felt walking in their neighborhoods alone during the day and at night.
According to Maluleke, the responses according painted the feelings of residents.
“The sense of safety in the dark among individuals aged 16 and older has declined, dropping from 41,8% in 2019 to 2020 to 34,9% in 2023 to 2024. This trend is particularly pronounced among females, who reported feeling less safe walking in their neighborhoods after dark compared to males,” said Maluleke.
When reflecting on the period between 2019 and 2020 to 2020 and 2021, Maluleke said people who felt safe walking alone during the day fell from 86,6% to 84,8% in 2020 to 2021.
He said this decrease continued throughout the reporting period, reaching 80,4% in 2023 to 2024.
Maluleke explained that walking alone can be a source of independence and tranquility, but for many, it also brings a heightened sense of vulnerability due to the prevalent fear of crime.
“The anxiety that accompanies walking alone reflects the real and perceived threats that individuals may face. This fear can have a profound impact on how people navigate public spaces, influencing their behavior, sense of freedom and overall well-being,” he said.
Maluleke argued that there have been instances where people have tried to protect themselves while walking in the street, with only about 39,9% of people taking action.
He said some of the reasons people provided for not protecting themselves included feeling that there was nothing they could do or not knowing what to do. Maluleke said it is for these reasons that the police need to play their part, but the community should also come together to protect each other.
Another pressing issue Maluleke highlighted was the rise in cases of assault, which increased from 263 000 in 2022 to 2023 to 295 000 in 2023 to 2024.
According to the report, Northern Cape had the highest number of cases, with 2,5% of people between 16 and older experiencing assault.
This was followed by North West with 1,3% and Mpumalanga with 1,3%. Gauteng and KZN ranked the lowest, alongside Limpopo, with 0,3%.
“Victims of assault indicated that knives were predominantly used in these incidents, with nearly 73% resulting in injuries. Only about 2% of assault victims sought counseling afterward.
“Most perpetrators were known to their victims, including friends or acquaintances with 24,7%, spouses or intimate partners with 12,6%, and relatives or other household members with 8,9%,” he said.
Maluleke expressed concern over the significant rise in assault cases reported in residential homes and offices. “Almost 23% reported an incident of assault at home, while 47,7% of cases were reported in residential areas, shops, and offices. This is concerning as these are places where people are meant to feel safe,” he said.