[Cindy-Lou Dale was telling me the other day that INTERPOL estimates there are about 120 murders PER DAY in South Africa – which is: 43,800 per annum!!! INTERPOL’s estimates are above any of the stats which are released here publicly. I used to write that there were 27,000 murders per annum. They want us to believe this number is down. But INTERPOL DOES NOT THINK SO!!!

I just want to give you Americans a few thoughts on how I had an American reacts who lives here. I had an interesting experience last week when I met an American gentleman who had been living here for one year. I suggested to him that we meet for dinner after work. I said to him he need not worry about travelling, I’d travel to a place near where he lives. He said to me, “Its dangerous travelling here in the evenings, I’d rather we meet during the day – I don’t drive here at night”. This, I will tell you is from a man who lived in Los Angeles! When we met, he was reading a newspaper where the headline was about crime. I smiled, and said to him – “… of course, according our President… there is no crime.” Jan]

Cape Town – South Africans are terrified of crime, and the past five years has seen them becoming even more scared even though some crimes have decreased or stabilised.

These findings are clear from a comparative analysis done by Duxiata Mistry, a senior researcher at the Institute of Security Studies, on the 1998 and 2003 national crime-victim survey.

More than half of those who felt unsafe walking around their neighbourhoods after dark in 1998, felt the same way in 2003.

This compares badly with the rest of Africa, where 60% of people feel safe walking around after dark, compared to 56% in South America and 55% in Asia. Only 23% of South Africans feel safe enough to do so.

Despite slight decreases in crime figures in the past five years, more than half of South Africa’s population feel crimes have increased in the past three years.

Police reaction time criticised

According to Mistry’s analysis, they are increasingly more scared than in 1998.

About 55% feel that property crimes increased, and 47% feel violent crime has gone up. Five of the six crimes of which South Africans are most fearful are violent ones.

Opinions about the police are divided. Just more than half think the police are doing a good job and just less than half are unsatisfied with them.

The biggest criticism of the police is that they react too slowly when they are needed.

Of those questioned during the victim survey, 29% know someone in their neighbourhood who makes a living from crime.

“This comes as no surprise when one takes into account the fact that crime figures are relatively high,” said Mistry.

Most of the people believe the motive for criminal behaviour is “greed” or “non-financial” reasons. The minority believe criminals act from true need or poverty.

Edited by Iaine Harper

Source: News24.Com