GOOD Statement by Brett Herron ,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of the Western Cape Parliament
21 February 2025
The Western Cape Safety Plan was introduced with the ambitious goal of reducing the murder rate by 50% over the course of ten years. However, halfway through the plan, the province finds itself moving further away from that goal, with the murder rate actually rising by 14.32% over the past five years.
As of the last three quarters of the 2024/2025 financial year, the number of murders in the Western Cape stands at a staggering 3,399. With one quarter still remaining, it is difficult to determine if these numbers will decrease, but the trends are deeply concerning.
Police stations such as Philippi East have already surpassed their total murder count from the last financial year, and there are still three months left in the reporting period. Even more alarming is that Bishop Lavis, which was not ranked among the top 30 murder stations in the previous financial year, has now surged to the 18th spot nationally, with 44 murders recorded in just three months.
The data clearly shows that, at this midway point, the metric for success set at the outset of the plan is now further away than when the plan was first implemented.
This failure is not just a matter of numbers; it’s about the real, lived experiences of individuals and families who continue to face violence and insecurity every day.
The money poured into the Safety Plan should be seen as a direct investment in the protection of residents, but if this money is not leading to real, measurable improvements, then we must ask: what is the point?
The increase in murder rates over the past five years is proof that this multi-billion rand plan is not working. It is a waste of valuable taxpayer money and resources if it fails to reduce crime, which is the most fundamental expectation of such an initiative.
We now call on the provincial government and relevant authorities to urgently reevaluate the Western Cape Safety Plan. A comprehensive review, guided by transparency and collaboration with local communities, experts, and law enforcement, is needed. The current strategy is failing, and it is time to adopt a more effective approach that puts the safety and well-being of the people of the Western Cape first.
If the province is serious about its commitment to reducing violent crime, it must stop investing in a failing plan and start implementing real solutions that will actually make a difference. The people of the Western Cape deserve a safety plan that delivers results, not a costly promise that has failed to live up to expectations.
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