Safety takes centre stage in Cape Town municipal election campaigns

Nyanga, Delft, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, and Philippi East remained among the police stations recording some of the highest levels of contact crime and murder in the country. Persistent high levels of violent crime in some Cape Town communities put safety and security at the centre of the local government election campaigns in the metro on Tuesday. Nyanga, Delft, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, and Philippi East remained among the police stations recording some of the highest levels of contact crime and murder in the country. City of Cape Town orders 750 additional body-worn cameras This was despite an overall decline in reported violent and contact crimes in Cape Town between April and June. Mfuleni recorded 975 contact crimes during the period, a 12% decline, while Delft recorded 872 cases. ActionSA Cape Town mayoral candidate Dereleen James said safety would be her number one priority if elected in the November 4 local government elections. She said that without safety, communities could not attract investment or see meaningful improvements in healthcare, education, and community development. "Everything starts with safety. From safety, we need to ensure that we extend services to our communities. Drugs and crime thrive in places where it's dark, where there are unkempt spaces, where the grass is long," James said. James said the City's focus on cleanliness in the CBD should also be extended to crime hotspots on the Cape Flats. Never miss a major story. Get breaking news and the latest developments from South Africa and beyond as they happen.