June 19, 2003
By Bongani Majola
CRIME in Johannesburg's inner city has decreased by more than 80%, while 92% of business entrepreneurs, city workers and residents say they would consider relocating or reinvesting in the CBD, according to a recent survey.
The survey results, commissioned by the City of Johannesburg to identify shifts in the perception of the city centre since the first survey two years ago, were presented at the weekly mayoral press briefing on Wednesday. The surveys monitor challenges facing efforts to reclaim, regenerate and revitalise the CBD.
The Johannesburg CBD Perception Survey 2003, by Surveillance Technology, found that "the inner city can never be replaced as South Africa's national asset and public and private sector confidence is dramatically returning to the CBD".
Those interviewed were optimistic Joburg could become a world-class city and acknowledged there was the political will from both local and provincial governments to improve the economy and welfare of the inner city.
Accepting the survey results, Executive Mayor Amos Masondo said: "That perceptions of central Johannesburg continue to get better is due in equal measure to the will of the people of Johannesburg and the City to improve the CBD, as well as to various visible and effective projects including the Gandhi and Mary Fitzgerald Squares, the Newtown Cultural Precinct, the Metro Mall, and to the newly-adopted uniform city by-laws."
"We welcome these findings and remain confident all our citizens will enjoy a better quality of life than before," said the mayor.
Presenting the results, Surveillance Technologies managing director John Penberthy said there was no doubt that crime in the CBD had declined dramatically since the introduction of the close circuit television (CCTV) cameras more than two years ago.
The main issues of concern expressed by "the representative sample of interviewees were: crime, by-laws and informal traders, dirty areas, bad buildings, loiterers and anti-social activities as well as lack of parking space," said Penberthy.
However, Penberthy said, it was clear that the combined efforts by the City of Johannesburg, the Johannesburg Development Agency, Johannesburg Metro Police Department, CCTV, the Central Johannesburg Partnership and the South African Police Services (SAPS) had yielded positive results in "how people now perceive the inner city".
In time, Penberthy said, these efforts would lead to social and economic responsibility, bringing down crime levels and creating a climate of investment in job creation, health and education.
"As cost benefits to the city, we noted a 72% reduction in non-violent crime and 57% in violent crime, and an increase in business confidence as well as increased crime prevention," said Penberthy.
Gauteng SAPS Area Commissioner Oswald Reddy, who also attended the briefing, confirmed the decreased levels of crime in the inner city. "Johannesburg Central used to be the most active police station of all the 21 stations in Johannesburg," the commissioner said, "but over the past two years a shift has occurred where Johannesburg Central is no longer as busy as it used to be. Most criminals have moved, displacing crime to the neighbouring precincts."
"Indeed, it's no longer safe to commit crime in the CBD," he joked.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 executive director Dr Ali Bacher also attended the briefing and presented Mayor Masondo with a R400 000 cheque raised at a dinner banquet during the ICC Cricket World Cup earlier this year. The cheque was handed on to Johannesburg Child Welfare.
Thanking the City of Johannesburg for its advice on the use of CCTV cameras, Bacher said: "It was unheard of in South African sports to use CCTV cameras during games, but after some convincing we did, and the result was that not a single incident occurred at a cricket match."
