The Western Cape government is cautiously optimistic following a reported decrease in the provinces murder rate for the fourth quarter of 2024, when juxtaposed with the same period last year, reports Cape town Etc .
Premier Alan Winde and Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, both expressed relief at the statistics, which showed a 4 decline in the overall murder rate.
This follows a welcome trend from the preceding quarters the third quarter also saw a decrease of 7.9, while the second quarter reported an 8.7 drop, amounting to a total reduction of 44 murders.
Despite this positive trajectory, both officials highlighted the continued gravity of the situation.
We are heartened by the decrease over three consecutive quarters however, the numbers are still worryingly high, stressed Minister Marais, noting that 10 out of the 30 police stations in South Africa with the highest murder rates are located in the Western Cape.