Haw safe is Cape Town? I guess that depends on which side of the tracks you’re on.

Literally.

The Mother City has long been attracting far too many tourists for some locals’ liking, but I think it’s time we stop all that nonsense and start focusing on the real issues before uncontrolled chaos ensues.

If you have absolutely no idea what I am referring to, why not take a look at what three days in the Cape Flats look like. Oh look, that’s Table Mountain in the background.

Every year, Mexican think-tank ‘Mexico’s Citizens’ publishes a survey of the world’s 50 most violent cities.

This time around, three South African cities made the 2017 list, and, well, Johannesburg isn’t one of them, reports Business Insider SA:

Cape Town fared worst, at number 15 on the list, while Durban (44th place) and Nelson Mandela Bay (46th) also featured.

In 2015, Johannesburg was still in the top 50 (number 47). But it dropped out of the list in 2016 and remained outside the top 50 in 2017.

Eish, baba.

Latin America came out tops, with 42 of the 50 cities located in South America: 17 were in Brazil, 12 in Mexico, five in Venezuela, three in Colombia, two in Honduras, and El Salvador, Guatemala, and Jamaica all had one.

Why? Drugs, obviously:

The region’s violence is in large part driven by drug trafficking and organised crime — in Mexico, fragmentation of criminal groups has stoked more bloodshed in recent months. Insecurity is also exacerbated by political instability, poverty, and poor economic conditions. Corruption, abuses by officials, and impunity also facilitate crime.

To be considered, the city needs to have a population of more than 300 000, and deaths in combat zones don’t appear on the list. Neither do those with “no data”, so we might be missing a few.

Here are the top 15, as well as the info for PE and Durbs:

46. Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa, had 37,53 homicides per 100,000 residents.
In 2017, Nelson Mandela Bay had a population of 1 263 051 people and 474 homicides.

44. Durban, South Africa, had 38,12 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Durban had a population of 3 661 911 population and 1 396 homicides.

15. Cape Town, South Africa, had 62,25 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Cape Town had a population of 4 004 793 people and 2 493 homicides.

14. Maceio, Brazil, had 63,94 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Maceio had a population of 1 029 129 people and 658 homicides.

13. St. Louis, USA had 65,83 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, St. Louis had a population of 311 404 people and 205 homicides.

12. Culiacan, Mexico, had 70,10 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Culiacan had a population of 957 613 people and 671 homicides.

11. Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil, had 70,26 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Vitoria da Conquista had a population of 348 718 people and 245 homicides.

10. Belem, Brazil, had 71,38 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Belem had a population of 2 441 761 people and 1 743 homicides.

9. Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela, had 80,28 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Ciudad Guayana had a population of 906 879 people and 728 homicides.

8. Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, had 83,32 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Ciudad Victoria had a population of 361 078 people and 301 homicides.

7. Fortaleza, Brazil, had 83,48 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Fortaleza had a population of 3 917 279 people and 3 270 homicides.

6. La Paz, Mexico, had 84,79 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, La Paz had a population of 305 455 people and 259 homicides.

5. Tijuana, Mexico, had 100,77 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Tijuana had a population of 1 882 492 people and 1 897 homicides.

4. Natal, Brazil, had 102,56 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Natal had a population of 1 343 573 people and 1 378 homicides.

3. Acapulco, Mexico, had 106,63 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Acapulco had a population of 853 646 people and 910 homicides.

2. Caracas, Venezuela, had 111,19 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Caracas had a population of 3 046 104 people and 3 387 homicides.

1. Los Cabos, Mexico, had 111,33 homicides per 100 000 residents.
In 2017, Los Cabos had a population of 328 245 people and 365 homicides.

2 493 homicides in 2017 alone? And you’re still surprised when the violence creeps into your quiet suburb.

[source:businessinsider]