12
OF THE WORST AREAS FOR
HOME BREAK-INS & ROBBERIES IN SOUTH AFRICA
https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/732339/12-of-the-worst-areas-in-south-africa-for-home-break-ins-and-robberies/
T
he South African Police Service (SAPS) has published the latest crime statistics for the second quarter of 2023/24, which covers July to September 2023 – showing that while burglaries have declined over the past year, residential robberies with aggravated circumstances have increased in South Africa. According to the SAPS’ data, burglaries at residential premises decreased by 5.9% year-on-year. However, compared to the first quarter of 2023, burglaries at residential premises increased by 3.6%. Robberies at houses were up by almost 4%.
This is also seen with the Northern Cape, the most scarcely populated province in the country, and thus has the lowest number of reported burglaries (3.7%). However, almost every province in South Africa is represented in the ‘top 12 worst areas’ list, and it is Mankweng in Limpopo which has drawn the most cases of break-ins, followed by Cambridge in Eastern Cape and Plessislaer in KZN.
While similar in nature (criminal trespassing and theft), burglaries and robberies are differentiated by the presence of the victim. Burglaries occur when a thief enters a home intending to steal while the victim is absent, while robberies happen when the victim is present and threatened during the theft. Despite decreasing year-on-year, burglaries still far outstrip robberies in South Africa in number, and – after drug-related crime and assault – is the biggest crime subcategory in the country. Data captured at police stations across the country recorded 38,151 cases of home burglaries between July and September 2023 – roughly 424 incidents a day. Meanwhile, the SAPS recorded 6,045 house robberies over the same period – or 67 every day. BURGLARY AT A RESIDENTIAL PREMISES Nationally, Gauteng accounts for most of the burglaries across the nine provinces, with just under a quarter (21.9%) of home burglaries in South Africa taking place in the province. This is unsurprising as it is the most populous province in South Africa and thus has a proportional amount of crime. Page 13
