Concerns raised as six SA cities listed amongst ‘ world’s most dangerous’

Numbeo’s latest figures on crime, safety and inner-city security have been published this month – catching the eye of prominent politicians in Gauteng. Six locations in South Africa have the unwanted distinction of making the list for the ‘top 20 most dangerous cities’ on the planet, according to user-generated data.

Indicators that assess the impact crime has on each individual city are weighed against a survey of public opinion. Respondents are asked about how safe they feel in their hometowns, and prompted to give feedback about criminal activity. The results have proved to be grim for Mzansi.

What are the most dangerous cities in South Africa?

Pretoria has, according to the research, become South Africa’s most dangerous city. That’s closely followed by Pietermaritzburg, as both cities occupy second and third spot respectively. Only Caracas in Venezuela outscores the pair. Durban and Johannesburg both make the top six, with Port Elizabeth in tenth.

Cape Town can claim the most hollow of all hollow victories, by *only* coming 19th in the survey – with over 400 other metropolises polled worldwide, the Mother City actually comes out as the safest major metro in SA. In fact, it’s the only place on our shores deemed safer than Kabul – the capital of Afghanistan.

‘Inadequate policing’ blamed for survey results

This updated table has sent John Moodey into attack mode. The shadow MEC for safety in Gauteng is livid with the performances of Pretoria and Johannesburg, claiming that it reflects ‘a lack of adequate policing’ in the province. The DA representative has promised to raise these findings with the local government.

“These rankings are worrying and clearly indicate that our cities lack adequate policing and that our people’s lives and safety is under serious threat. South Africans do not feel safe in their homes and communities as crime continues to rise while the SAPS is riddling with corruption and unable to fight crime.”

“DA Gauteng notes with concern that the province’s two big cities, Pretoria and Johannesburg, have been ranked amongst the top ten most dangerous cities. Our police are ill-equipped to adequately ensure that law and order is maintained in our communities and that there are effective arrests and convictions of criminals.”

John Moodey

World’s most dangerous cities – including six from South Africa

(Data provided by Numbeo)

Rank	City and country	Crime Index	Safety Index
1	Caracas, Venezuela	84.93	15.07
2	Pretoria, South Africa	81.78	18.22
3	Pietermaritzburg, South Africa	81.44	18.56
4	San Pedro Sula, Honduras	81.22	18.78
5	Durban, South Africa	80.89	19.11
6	Johannesburg, South Africa	80.43	19.57
7	Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea	80.14	19.86
8	Fortaleza, Brazil	78.50	21.50
9	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	77.30	22.70
10	Port Elizabeth, South Africa	76.85	23.15
11	Recife, Brazil	76.81	23.19
12	Kabul, Afghanistan	76.76	23.24
13	Porto Alegre, Brazil	76.15	23.85
14	Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago	75.70	24.30
15	Salvador, Brazil	75.67	24.33
16	Memphis, TN, United States	75.17	24.83
17	Baltimore, MD, United States	74.87	25.13
18	Detroit, MI, United States	73.41	26.59
19	Cape Town, South Africa	73.38	26.62
20	Klang, Malaysia	72.43	27.57

Numbeo’s safety index by city, as of 11 May 2020