Eastern Cape no safe haven against crime

STARTLING evidence of Eastern Cape residents being among the most targeted victims of certain crimes in South Africa has shattered perceptions of the province as a relatively safe haven.

An in-depth security report has revealed the region ranks among the four hardest-hit of the country‘s nine provinces when it comes to specific crimes, while the Western Cape – including the Southern Cape region – fares much worse in some cases.

The report, released by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and titled “Who is Most at Risk?”, is a comprehensive study of the chances of people falling victim to crime that shows demographics like age, gender, race, marital status and area of residence.

Among the most alarming evidence to emerge is that those who have adopted security measures to safeguard their homes are in fact more likely to be targeted than those who have not, while residents in areas with a high police or security company presence are only marginally safer than those where security personnel are scarce.

“Those taking measures to protect their household from crime were no less likely to experience crime than those not adopting measures, and in fact, were more likely to be have been victimised,” said ISS researcher Robyn Pharoah, who authored the report.

Based on the institute‘s 2007 crime survey involving face-to-face interviews with 5000 people throughout the country, the report highlights five categories of crimes which victims typically face: burglary, property theft, car break-ins, robbery and assault.

Of the five categories, the Eastern Cape fared badly in three while the Western Cape was dismal in four.

The report shows that of the respondents in the nine provinces:

Eastern Cape residents are the third most targeted when it comes to robbery, after the Western Cape and Limpopo. Black male pensioners, as well as singletons and city-dwellers, are most at risk.

Eastern Cape car owners also suffer the third-highest vehicle break-ins, after Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal. Single white women between 16 and 25 are the most targeted; black men the least.

Eastern Cape residents have the fourth-highest incidence of property theft, with black men between 16 and 25 living in the city the most targeted. Indian women and pensioners are least at risk.

On the upside, when it comes to assault, Eastern Cape residents are the fourth safest – Free State is safest – but the Western Cape has the fourth-highest incidence of assault, with the Northern Cape worst off. White men between 16 and 25 are the most likely targets, coloured women over 65 are the safest.

Eastern Cape homeowners are also fourth-safest when it comes to burglary, the highest incidence being in KwaZulu Natal. Large coloured households are most at risk; small, white, rural families are safest.

Fellow researchers have concurred with Pharoah‘s findings, saying victimisation trends differed according to provinces.

“People in different socio- economic situations would have varying risks of victimisation and certain demographics are affected differently,” said Paulin Mbecke, senior researcher at the CSIR. “Some of our provinces are more rural and others more urban, and those characteristics will impact on the incidences of crime.

“But we must remember that just because people are poor, it doesn‘t mean they will turn to crime.”

Security companies have said as crime in the province becomes more rampant, residents must up their proactive measures to safeguard themselves.

Safety analysts said proactive community-based programmes like neighbourhood patrols helped reduce criminal activity significantly.

“People need to be vigilant when approaching their cars after shopping, and when they get home they should lock the doors,” said Atlas security company operations manager Monty Montgomery. “In many house robberies, residents have fallen asleep watching TV with a door left open.”

Montgomery said while it was difficult to prevent assaults, one thing residents could do was to prevent criminals from getting into their personal space.

“The main thing is to prevent perpetrators from getting too close, because after that it doesn‘t matter how strong you are, they‘ll take you on,” he said.

He said vehicles should also be parked within properties to prevent break-ins, and security gates kept locked.

But according to Pharoah, even taking the utmost precautions could not always prevent crimes.

It was tougher for criminals to operate in areas where community members knew and looked out for one another, she said.