Plessislaer: Pietermaritzburg’s crime capital

Plessislaer remains one of the hottest crime spots in South Africa.

A total of 911 contact crimes – which include murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, assault and robbery – were recorded at the police station covering the area in the final quarter of 2021.

Between October and

December last year, 62 murders were reported to the station, putting it in fourth place nationwide. Inanda had the dubious honour of being in first place, with Delft in second place and Umlazi in third.

Those murders were among the 6 859 cases reported across the country, an increase of 8.9% or 562 people, compared with the same period in 2020. Of these, 902 victims were women and 352 were children. A total of 232 people died as a result of domestic violence.

Police Minister Bheki Cele said murders were also caused by arguments, vigilantism, robberies and cases of revenge or retaliation.