Payday Weekends: Assault Statistics Expose Spike in South African Violence

Cape Town recorded a surge in violence during the most recent payday weekend, with assault reports almost doubling compared to the previous week.

Figures from the City of Cape Town’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) show how payday weekends fuel violent crime across South Africa.

Assaults Nearly Double

Between Friday and Sunday, PECC logged 140 assault cases, up from 78 the weekend before.

• 41 were physical assaults

• 98 involved weapons

• Domestic violence rose from 36 to 53 cases

Road accidents also spiked, with 66 incidents recorded, compared to 45 the previous weekend.

Payday Weekends: A Consistent Spike

City officials confirm that the first and last weekends of each month are consistently the most violent.

“Our enforcement departments brace themselves for payday weekends as it inevitably means an increase in violence and recklessness,” said Alderman JP Smith, Mayco Member for Safety and Security.

Smith warned about the persistent threat of illegal firearms, with six confiscated and 12 arrests made over the weekend.

“The City is doing as much as it can with limited resources, but we need national government to come to the party so we can stop the flood of guns being used to terrorise our neighbourhoods,” Smith added.

Enforcement in Numbers

Law enforcement agencies reported a heavy week of operations across Cape Town:

• Law Enforcement: 166 arrests, 4 992 notices issued

• Metro Police: 53 arrests, 2 795 fines issued

• Traffic Services: 22 arrests (13 for drunk driving), 32 525 traffic offences, 198 taxis impounded, 1 549 warrants executed

In total, the PECC logged 1 641 incidents for the week.

Ongoing Challenges

The City says it will continue ramping up patrols, roadblocks, and checkpoints during high-risk weekends. But officials stress that curbing illegal firearms requires urgent intervention from national government to address the root of payday-related crime spikes.

{Source: TheSouthAfrican}

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