Pietermaritzburg tops global crime perception index, sparking mixed reactions

PIETERMARITZBURG has been ranked as the city with the highest perceived crime levels in the world, according to the latest international Crime Index published by global data platform Numbeo. 

Other South African cities dominated the upper reaches of the global list. 

The KwaZulu-Natal capital took first place with a Crime Index score of 82.8, placing it ahead of Pretoria, which ranked second with a score of 81.8. Venezuela ranked third (81.4) and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea fourth (81.3). Johannesburg was next with 80.8, followed by Durban (80.4), Honduras (79.4), Gqeberha (78.6), Memphis in the US (78.5) and El Salvador in Brazil (76.5). Cape Town ranked 16th (73.7).

According to Numbeo, “very high” concern levels were recorded in areas where there were home burglaries, muggings, car theft, break-ins, violent crimes including assault, and the risk of being physically attacked because of skin colour, ethnic origin, gender or religion. Respondents also expressed high concern about drug dealing, corruption and bribery.

The index further showed low perceptions of safety when walking alone during both the day and at night.

The ranking has drawn mixed reactions from Pietermaritzburg residents and community leaders, with some disputing the findings and others saying the results reflect lived realities.

Maureen Govender, chairperson of the Cleland and Meadows Ratepayers Association, questioned the credibility of the data.

“I do not know where they got those stats from. We are not the highest crime city globally. When I saw the stats, I was shocked because we do not have many violent crime incidents. These stats seem to be an international standard not set by us.”

Govender said she believed drugs, drinking and driving, and vagrancy were the city’s biggest crime challenges, rather than violent crime.

“I feel the stats are falsely being propagated by Americans and causing unwarranted issues. I just moved into a new home recently and we feel nothing but safe. We leave our gates unlocked and do not fear anything. The stats need fact-checking." 

However, Judy Umraw, who works with the Pietermaritzburg Homeless Network, said crime in the city’s central areas had worsened significantly.

“I can say the crime in the central town has escalated significantly. Every day is worse than the next. Unemployment causes homelessness which increases crime to survive.”

She added that Pietermaritzburg was experiencing an influx of homeless people from Durban, which she believed had placed further strain on the city.

“We have seen homeless people from all over Durban being dumped in PMB and causing more crime for us. Home intrusions, break-ins, robberies and crime syndicates target cellphones and there are smash-and-grabs."  

Umraw also shared her personal experience as a victim of violent crime.

“I was a victim last September. I was held up by two gunmen while parked in a driveway in Scottsville. They stole all my jewellery, cellphone and handbag with all my important documents. They had a getaway vehicle waiting for them." 

David Gengan, chairperson of the Pietermaritzburg Gandhi Foundation, said the crime situation in the city remained a serious concern.

“The crime stats for Pietermaritzburg continue to be worrying and pose serious safety concerns for the community. This is driven largely through unemployment, which is at alarming levels in the city, as well as an increasing purely criminal activity.”

He called for increased police resources and stronger community involvement.

“Police services need to be increased in the region, with more visibility and rapid responses. The community has an important role to play in being vigilant and reporting criminal activity timeously. Ultimately, more development needs to be created to provide more jobs, which will have an impact in reducing petty crime levels,” said Gengan.

Sham Govender, Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson for Mountain Rise, said the ranking did not fairly reflect conditions across all areas of Pietermaritzburg.

“We strongly disagree with the perception that our area is crime-ridden. While crime does occur, as it does elsewhere, the strong partnership between SAPS, the private security industry, and the community has played a significant role in reducing reported crime.”

Govender praised local policing efforts but questioned how global statistics were applied to the city as a whole.

“SAPS Mountain Rise has worked tirelessly and remains committed to keeping crime levels low. While we acknowledge that incidents of crime do occur, serious crime is rarely recorded within our policing precinct.

“We do question the accuracy and interpretation of global crime statistics, as Pietermaritzburg is a large area and there is no clear breakdown indicating which specific areas contribute to the figures that place the city on a global platform,” he said.

How the index is compiled:

Numbeo states that its Crime Index is based on surveys completed by website visitors and reflects perceptions rather than official crime statistics.

“Individual responses are assigned a numerical value between -2 (strongly negative perception) and +2 (strongly positive perception). Survey results are then scaled from 0 to 100 for easier interpretation and comparison,” stated Numbeo’s website.

The data is drawn from responses collected over the past five years and updated continuously, with cities included only if they meet a minimum number of contributors to ensure statistical significance.

“It is important to note that Numbeo’s Crime Index is based on user-contributed perceptions, which may differ from official government statistics. The index serves as a comparative tool for assessing the relative safety of different cities or countries,” stated Numbeo’s website. 

For the full Crime Index list, visit www.numbeo.com 

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