Crime in Gauteng has reached a tipping point. It is no longer a matter of individual safety or community concern, it has become an economic emergency that demands immediate, decisive action.
The statistics paint a grim picture of a province under siege, where businesses are forced to choose between growth and survival and where the foundation of our economic prosperity is being systematically eroded. Despite slight drops in serious crimes such as murder and sexual offences, Gauteng remains the epicentre of crime in the country.
The lived reality of Gauteng residents is undeniable. According to the World Bank’s 2023 Safety First report, crime costs SA's economy about 10% of its GDP annually — a staggering R700bn. This conservative estimate represents not just numbers on a spreadsheet but real businesses closing their doors, lost investment opportunities, real jobs disappearing and real families losing their livelihoods.
Gauteng recorded 1,439 murders in the fourth quarter alone and contributed 25.1% to the national murder figure. Rape, sexual offences and sexual assault also remained high, accounting for the second-highest provincial statistics in the country. These figures represent more than crime statistics; they reflect a province where economic activity is being strangled by criminal elements, who operate with alarming impunity.
The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) 2023/2024 Quality of Life Survey reveals the true extent of our crisis. The percentage of respondents who reported being victims of crime in the past year increased from 19% in 2020/21 to 21% in 2023/24. More alarming still, the percentage of respondents who feel that the crime situation is worsening increased by 5%, from 43% in 2020/21 to 48% in 2023/24.
With the overall increase in crime in Gauteng, satisfaction with safety and security services has plummeted to 23% in 2023/24, from 27% in 2020/21. Crime is now the most frequently cited problem, named by 36% of respondents in the latest survey, up from 32% previously. This represents a community living in fear, where basic freedoms have been surrendered to criminal elements.
These statistics reflect a province that continues to be haunted by serious crimes and raises questions about the efficiency of the crime prevention measures used to fight crime. Despite this reality, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi continues to boast about his crime prevention measures, including the crime wardens known as Amapanyaza, which are supposedly making Gauteng safe for its residents. However, the truth is that Gauteng continues to fail to apply the basics of policing, and until this is fixed, the province will remain a crime hub.
The effect of crime on businesses is at catastrophic levels. Small and medium enterprises, which are the backbone of our economy, are being systematically destroyed because of high crime levels. Many business owners who have experienced crime are unwilling to invest in growth or expansion. Instead of channelling resources into productive ventures that create jobs and generate wealth, they are forced to divert funds into security measures to protect their existing operations.
Research data reveals a troubling pattern; businesses in informal settlements, townships and high-crime areas are most reluctant to invest due to crime. Those who face multiple severe incidents often have no choice but to close entirely. Between April 1 2024 and the end of February this year, infrastructure vandalism and theft cost Eskom about R221m.
Criminals target essential infrastructure such as mini-substations, pylons and transformers, disrupting electricity supply and posing safety risks. The ripple effects extend throughout the economy as businesses struggle with power outages and communication disruptions that can paralyse operations for days or weeks.
As the World Bank report noted, if businesses could redirect even a portion of their security spending towards productive investments SA’s growth potential could increase by a full percentage point. This represents thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity that we are currently losing to criminal elements.
Crime creates a vicious cycle that becomes increasingly difficult to break. High youth unemployment, which hovers at about 50%, makes young people susceptible to both perpetrating and becoming victims of crime. The lack of economic opportunities drives criminal activity, which in turn destroys the businesses that could provide employment.
The provincial government’s recognition of crime as a “significant impediment to economic growth” is welcome, but recognition alone is insufficient. The planned budget increases for the department of community safety represent a step in the right direction, but the scope and scale of intervention demands far more comprehensive action.
The DA in Gauteng has consistently highlighted concerns about the condition and resource allocation at police stations across the province, citing issues like dilapidated infrastructure, inadequate equipment and staff shortages. Recent DA oversight visits to police stations in areas such as Katlehong and Zonkizizwe have exposed the crisis facing our policing infrastructure. Police stations without basic amenities like water cannot function effectively, making it nearly impossible for officers to provide adequate support to communities under siege.
The DA in Gauteng has put forward concrete proposals that deserve serious consideration. Our call for devolved policing powers represents a fundamental shift towards localised, responsive law enforcement. Our emphasis on enhanced crime intelligence and community partnerships offers a more agile approach to crime prevention than the current centralised system that has demonstrably failed to protect Gauteng’s residents and businesses.
Enhanced partnerships between law enforcement and business communities, creating integrated security networks that make crime more difficult and less profitable are desperately needed. The private sector already spends billions on security; this investment should be co-ordinated with public safety efforts for maximum impact.
The time for half-measures and political rhetoric has passed. Gauteng needs a comprehensive crime-fighting strategy that addresses both immediate security concerns and underlying socioeconomic factors. This means investing in policing infrastructure and personnel, with properly resourced police stations that can function as effective community safety hubs. We cannot expect officers to combat sophisticated criminal networks while working from facilities that lack basic utilities and resources. Gauteng needs a proactive, well-resourced police service that can track, intercept and deter crime in identified hotspots in our underserved communities.
We need targeted economic development programmes that provide alternatives to criminal activity, particularly for young people in high-crime areas. The correlation between unemployment, inequality and crime is well-established. We must therefore attack the root causes, not just the symptoms. Every day that crime continues to ravage our province we lose irreplaceable economic opportunities.
The R700bn annual cost of crime represents more than enough resources to fund huge infrastructure projects, education initiatives and job creation programmes. Instead, these resources are being transferred from productive economic actors to criminal elements who contribute nothing to society while destroying everything they touch.
The choice is clear: we either act decisively now or we watch as crime continues to strangle the economic life out of our province. The statistics paint a clear picture; the costs are mounting and time is running out. Our economy, communities and future depend on getting this right.
• Msimanga, a Gauteng MPL, is DA provincial leader.
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