Flawed crime statistics masking reality of extortion and gunfire, says GOOD councillor

The GOOD Party in the Western Cape has condemned the Marikana mass murder in Philippi East. Eight people were killed, and three others were injured in an attack believed to be linked to extortion.

GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor Jonathan Cupido says official crime statistics fail to paint a clear picture of the reality on the ground. He says members of the public have been reporting persistent intimidation in crime watch groups for months.

"This reality is largely absent from SAPS quarterly crime statistics, which only record firearm violence once someone is killed or seriously injured. 'Shots fired', intimidation gunfire, and shooting-in-progress incidents are simply not counted."

Cupido says crime prevention should be prioritised over crime response. He maintains that the GOOD Party has consistently called for a violence-prevention approach, aligned to their manifesto and supported by international evidence.

According to Cupido, until SAPS crime statistics include unlawful firearm discharge and reflect what communities experience, resources will continue to be misdirected, and tragedies like Marikana will repeat themselves.