#CrimeStats: Communities still living in fear of crime despite decline

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]While the latest crime statistics point to a decline in murders across South Africa, many communities say they still are living in fear. Residents at the Boons's Informal Settlement in Johannesburg say violence has become part of daily life. Community members also accuse police of slow response to violent incidents. Newsroom Africa's Yam Galga Manga is in Boise this morning and she's joining us now live. Yam Galga, very good morning to you. So yesterday the acting police minister said that high crime is often found in areas that are underresourced and have vulnerable and marginalized communities. Is this one of those areas?

[00:00:45]>> Thank you so much Kash there at the studio. Well, this is one of those um marginalized communities that um the acting police minister Fero Casalia has pointed to. Today we are at Bo's informal settlements where we have received several complaints from the residents in the area while complaining that this area is plagued by murders.

[00:01:09]They had just told us that just two weeks ago there were two men who were helping themselves um uh um because um there's also problems of sanitation in the area. So they helped themselves in the in the bushes rather. So these men were butchered but maybe just to take us through um to we are just going to to be talking to one of the residents in the area just to to to sort of give us a a a picture of the reality in the area.

[00:01:41]Can you please Last week you in the bush.

[00:02:28]Dangerous.

[00:02:43]Well, that is one of the residents just basically telling us that they are experiencing robbery and that there's they there is so uh so much little intervention from the law enforcement uh in terms when they they are reporting the crime in the We have also another resident who also has her story to tell.

[00:03:06]>> Hello sister.

[00:03:06]>> Hello.

[00:03:32]Yeah.

[00:03:36]Toilet.

[00:03:43]at least 201 Well, Gatla, we have another residents just basically telling us that the the sanitation issues is forcing themselves to even help themselves in their room.

[00:04:23]She's also basic basically telling us that they there's no help even from the local counselor and she's mentioning that she's lived here for almost 10 years but um she's she has only seen the the local counselor in the area uh maybe two times but we are going to be crossing to the local counselor in the next hour there thank you so much.

[00:04:45]>> Thank you Yam Gleam. I mean quite pertinent issues raised there. also echoing just what the acting minister of police has spoken about with those underserviced areas and then that leading to a lot of the crime and the the activities that taking place in communities such as that Boise's informal settlement in Johannesburg It