CAPE TOWN - Crime, homelessness and the rising cost of living are putting Cape Town communities under pressure.
This has now seen residents demanding more than just increased policing.
Law student and independent candidate Thaafir Mustapha said crime cannot be separated from the economic hardship facing communities.
“It would be short-sighted to think about crime without thinking about the cost of living. Ultimately, it's one bad bill that separates you from a homeless person or someone desperate enough to commit a crime," he said
Mustapha spoke at eNCA’s WeTheNation election debate held at the University of the Western Cape on Sunday.
Another attendee challenged the DA over its approach to crime and what it had done since taking over from the ANC in 2006.
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He criticised the party for focusing heavily on law enforcement while failing to address drugs and gangsterism.
“You are saying that more boots on the ground [are needed], but you are not bringing any facilities to deal with the issues that are affecting our communities,” he said.
The Democratic Alliance's Carl Pophaim said the party has “pushed the boundary” in the city, spending more than R8 billion on municipal security over the last five years.
This included deploying “more than 1,300 new metro police officers, while SAPS has decreased.”
He conceded that more needed to be done.
"There are substantive issues on the ground that need to be addressed," he explained.