Crime continues to cripple Gauteng’s economy

Gauteng’s crime statistics reflect a province that continues to be haunted by serious crimes, raising pressing questions about the effectiveness of the crime prevention measures currently used to fight crime in this province.

These are not numbers. These reflect real communities living in fear and a real economy being strangled by unchecked criminal activity. Under Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s leadership, crime continues to cripple Gauteng’s economy, and until we address the fundamental failures in our policing system, our province will remain a high crime hub. While the planned budget increases for the Department of Community Safety represent a step in the right direction, the scope and scale of the crisis demand far more comprehensive action.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has repeatedly raised serious concerns about the state of police stations across the province. We have highlighted the lack of adequate resources, the worsening condition of infrastructure, and persistent staff shortages, particularly in underserved communities.

The root of Gauteng’s crime crisis lies in the systematic breakdown of our police infrastructure. Police stations are crumbling; they are under-resourced and ill-equipped to serve the communities they are meant to protect.

During a recent oversight visit to Akasia Police Station, we discovered that dedicated officers were struggling to carry out their duties because of a severe shortage of basic resources. The station is supposed to have 24 police vehicles, but only 13 are operational.

Of these, five vehicles are allocated to visible policing, and these must cover an area of roughly 150 square kilometres. Alarmingly, one of the few operational vehicles is often used to transport suspects to other police stations because the Akasia Police Station does not have holding cells.

Akasia is one of 24 police stations in the province without any holding facilities. This results in officers being forced to travel long distances to other stations that are already overcrowded to detain suspects, wasting valuable time and creating dangerous gaps in custody protocols. It’s the same at Mohlakeng and Cleveland Police Stations. Mohlakeng ranks 28th among the top 40 police stations in Gauteng for reported murders, while Cleveland is ranked 10th for attempted murders.

These stations are operating under impossible conditions, yet they are situated in areas that are experiencing some of the highest levels of violent crime in the province. While basic infrastructure is falling apart, millions of rands are being wasted on high-tech solutions like CCTV cameras and drones, which are of little use if our officers do not have the vehicles or facilities required to perform their basic duties.

Without essentials such as adequate personnel, vehicles, and operational infrastructure, these technologies amount to window dressing because we lack the necessary groundwork required to make these technologies effective. In his recent budget speech on community safety, the premier proudly announced that 166 vehicles were handed over to the police.

This might sound like progress, but when placed in context, the picture changes. According to the South African Police Services' 2023/24 Annual Report, Gauteng had 9,738 active police vehicles in 2022/23. In 2023/24, this number dropped to 9,325. Instead of meaningful improvement, we are seeing a steady decline in resources that are vital for effective policing.

The situation is as dire when it comes to holding cells. The lack of proper facilities results in officers spending hours transporting detainees to distant stations. This wastes fuel, time, and manpower. More concerning is that this creates opportunities for suspects to escape. The SAPS annual report confirms that out of the 438 people who escaped from police custody in the 2023/24 financial year, 68 were in Gauteng.

Every time a detainee escapes, it sends a message to the public that criminals are free to act without consequence and that our law enforcement system cannot be trusted to keep communities safe. These escapes are the symptom of a broken system that has been allowed to deteriorate for years. Overcrowded cells, unreliable vehicles, and a lack of officers make escapes inevitable. This is not an infrastructure failure. We are facing a critical shortage of trained police personnel.

Many police stations are running on minimal staff. Officers are overstretched, overworked, and left to do the job without adequate resources. This is not simply a numbers issue. It is about the quality-of-service delivery. We need well-trained, well-equipped officers who can investigate cases, build trust, and deliver justice. 

The impact of this shortage is visible across the province. Investigations are delayed, crime scenes are not properly handled, cases are constantly thrown out of court, and justice is denied.

When our police are not equipped, trained, or supported, criminals flourish, and the rule of law is eroded. This is the backdrop against which serious allegations are emerging about the existence of high-level criminal syndicates and international drug cartels with links to police officers and prosecutors.

These criminal networks are allegedly based in Gauteng. Yet we expect our officers to take on these dangerous groups while working from collapsing facilities without running water or functioning detention cells.

What Gauteng needs is a proactive and properly resourced police service that can identify, track, and dismantle criminal networks before they strike. We need to focus on hotspot areas and underserved communities. That means investing in infrastructure and personnel. Gauteng’s crime crisis requires immediate and practical action. The residents of Gauteng deserve more than the current state of affairs.

Our communities deserve a government that puts their safety first. They deserve to live in communities where they feel safe, where their children can walk to school without fear, and where businesses can thrive without the constant threat of criminal activity. 

A DA-led government would conduct a comprehensive needs analysis of every police station, allowing for data-driven, targeted interventions that address the specific challenges faced at each location. We support expanded forensic and intelligence capabilities built on data and real-time crime information. We need to get the basics right.

Every police station should be a fully functioning safety hub with adequate resources needed to serve its community. The residents of Gauteng cannot tolerate any more excuses. It is time for action.

Solly Msimanga MPL, DA Gauteng Leader of the Official Opposition