Crime on the increase in Mogale City
The survey shows that almost a quarter of Gauteng residents have been a victim of crime in the past year.
The quality of life (QoL) survey conducted by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) revealed that crime in Mogale City showed an upwards trend between 2011 and 2013.
Last year more than 27 000 people were surveyed to establish their level of satisfaction with governance in the province.
This third survey of its kind is said to be the largest ever survey of social attitudes in Gauteng, with a sample of 27 493 respondents and is said to be accurate to ward level.
“This remarkably powerful data set has been analysed and mapped at city-region, city and ward level, to give overview results as well as fine-grained ward-level comparisons,” says GCRO executive director Professor David Everatt.
Mogale City’s crime increase ranks together with Lesedi, Merafong City and Tshwane, all showing an upwards trend in crime, with Lesedi up from 15 per cent to 26 per cent between 2011 and 2013
Meanwhile, 25 per cent of Tshwane’s residents reported being a victim of crime in 2013, compared to the Gauteng average of 23 per cent.
Elsewhere on the West Rand Randfontein was perceived as the safest area with only 18 per cent of respondents reporting being a victim of crime over the past year.
Further responses from those surveyed indicate that 12 per cent of Gauteng residents feel either unsafe or very unsafe walking the streets during the day – a figure that skyrockets to 68 per cent at night.
In April, a United Nations report noted that South Africa has managed to more than halve its murder rate – from 64,5 per 100 000 people in 1995 to 31 per 100 000 (16 259 murders) in 2012 – however, the country remains the eighth most violent in the world, and the most violent in Africa.
A shocking overall figure revealed by the survey is that almost a quarter of Gauteng residents have been victims of crime in the past year.
