Townships are KZN’s crime hotspots

INLSA

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa addresses the media alongside national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega in Parliament after the polices latest national crime statistics were released. Photo: Brenton Geach

Durban -

KwaZulu-Natal’s townships have the province’s highest number of murders, rapes and other serious crimes every year, and this trend will not change unless decent police resources are channelled into these areas, says KZN violence monitor Mary de Haas.

The crime statistics revealed that Inanda was the province’s murder capital, followed closely by Umlazi and KwaMashu.

De Haas said the high crime levels in the townships “have been like that for years” and dated from before1994.

She said good police officers needed to be sent to these areas and, if necessary, satellite stations should be established. Social conditions, particularly at hostels, where violence reigned, contributed to the high crime rate.

“These areas urgently need proper law and order maintenance and jacking up of policing and crime intelligence,” she said. “What are the police doing about it? What fundamental steps have been taken to address it? And what are the councillors doing about it?”

The Mercury