Just minutes after Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced the crime statistics yesterday, high school pupils got into a knife fight at Nyanga taxi rank in Cape Town.
Yesterday it was revealed that 262 murder cases were registered at the Nyanga Police Station in the 2012-2013 financial year - higher than any other station in the country.
In the previous financial year, the number of murder cases was 233.
Attempted murder cases increased from 398 to 413.
Thandazwa Bheja said she has seen crime escalating over the years.
"Crime is getting worse, people get robbed and killed in this township.
"School kids were fighting here a few minutes ago. They drew out knives and pangas but no one stopped them."
Bheja said most of the children in the township dropped out of school and joined gangs.
Vendor Maggy Goxo said she was robbed of her cellphone on her way to her stall at the taxi rank last year.
"Police take a long time to arrive whenever we call them," said Goxo.
"People get robbed and killed here. It is a bit safer here at the rank because there are many people."
Her neighbour, Washington Thembaliphi, said people got robbed in front of the police station.
Thembaliphi said residents were too scared to report drug dealers and shebeen owners - and called on the government to take decisive action.
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