JOHANNESBURG – While national crime statistics suggest a decline in certain offenses across South Africa, residents of the Booysens informal settlement say their lived experience tells a different story. The area is ranked fourth in Gauteng for serious crimes, particularly murder and rape.
Residents describe fear as an everyday reality, with moving around at night considered dangerous despite reports of declining crime figures nationally. Community members also blame poor infrastructure and lack of basic services for exacerbating the crisis.
Local leadership has drawn sharp criticism. Residents claim that leaders only appear during crises or ahead of elections, leaving longstanding issues unresolved despite repeated promises.
“Since I have been living here from 2010, I have spoken to the councilor twice. He said he would fix it. Even today, he has not fixed it. I saw him again last week looking for votes,” one resident said.
Another resident added: “I saw the councilor in 2010, and I still see the same councilor.”
The local ward councilor rejected claims of neglect, saying that while crime remains a concern in the area, cooperation between residents and police structures has yielded results.
“People must remember that as elections approach, everybody will try to shift blame to the incumbent. That is what happened here,” the councilor said.
Citing the latest crime statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS), the councilor said interventions are making an impact.
“Crime was very high because people were killed during the day, but now it has gone down because of the coming together of committed community members together with the Community Policing Forum structures,” the councilor said.
He urged residents to work more closely with authorities to tackle crime, adding: “We can’t do nothing without the community, because the community is the one that has all the information.”
Despite these assurances, residents say crime remains a daily fear. As one community member noted, statistics showing signs of progress can only offer “paper safety” as long as fear persists in the community.