Violent crime threatens South Africa’s best-run city

Service providers in Cape Town are increasingly relying on police escorts to operate in areas with high rates of violent crime.

In the 2025 financial year, police escorts were requested an average of 275 times per month, totalling 3,300 cases.

This number rose in the following financial year, with over 10,000 police escorts requested by several service delivery companies.

Police escorts rose by 223% in the space of one year, pointing to a growing reliance on the service.

Escorts are typically used when service providers have to work in areas known for violent crimes, like Gugulethu, Delft, and Khayelitsha.

The police presence is used to deter crimes such as gang violence, hijacking, robbery, and extortion against municipal workers.

These service providers are targets for violent crime, as they are required to work in remote areas, often at night, to restore services.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the high rates of these crimes pointed to a trend where some residents do not care for their communities.

“The increased need for escort duties to line departments is but another indicator of the complete disregard that criminals have for their communities,” he said.

“The cost is immense, but the cost of not having the escort unit in place to protect staff would be even greater.”

At the start of 2025, Cape Town’s local government increased its budget for police escorts by R100 million, but now says that this is not enough.

Local police are struggling to keep up with requests for escorts and have started prioritising them based on the areas where they will be working.

The city is currently prioritising 16 high-risk precincts, which have been earmarked due to their higher violent crime rates compared to other areas. 

“The toll on the directorate is significant due to increased overtime requirements because service delivery takes place 24/7,” Smith said.

Fears of gang violence in Cape Town

Violent crime is a well-known issue in Cape Town, driven by gangsterism, which has taken hold of the Cape Flats.

In the first three months of 2026, the Western Cape recorded 983 murders, the second highest of any South African province.

242 gang-related murders were recorded across South Africa during this time, with the Western Cape accounting for 93% of them.

The Western Cape also had 252 attempted murder cases linked to gangsterism, far higher than any other province.

When looking at instances of violent crime, specific areas in Cape Town often rank among the highest in the country.

Areas such as Gugulethu, Delft, and Khayelitsha are listed as having some of the highest rates of violent crime.

These areas are in the Cape Flats, which have become synonymous with gang-related crime in recent years.

Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on police, Lisa Shickerling, has previously called for increased policing of areas with high gang activity.

“For too long, communities across the Western Cape have lived under the daily threat of gang violence, extortion, drug trafficking and violent crime,” she said.

The presence of gangs in Cape Town often makes it dangerous for service providers to operate in certain areas.

This can lead to poor service delivery in often underprivileged areas, as municipal workers are scared of possible violence against them.

This has led to a high number of requests for police escorts, giving added protection to key service providers.

The key services that often request police escorts include the Department of Water and Sanitation and maintenance workers for electricity infrastructure.

The Health Department also relies on a police presence to ensure ambulances and emergency workers can operate in high-risk areas.

These services are vital in areas with high gang violence, but they often fear hijacking and robbery for the medical equipment they carry.