Blue light hijacking. Image: pexels.com
Blue light hijacking. Image: pexels.com
South Africa’s ongoing battle with its unsettlingly-high crime numbers is an issue that most of the international community is aware of. However, there is one illegal act in particular that is on the rise in some parts of the country – and the act of kidnapping has seen a sharp rise since the beginning of 2019.
Where are you most likely to be kidnapped in South Africa?
According to data shared by John Moodey – an MPL for the DA in Gauteng – some locations are suffering through an unwanted spike in this particular crime, with some cases allegedly aided and abetted by police officers. In his capacity as Shadow MEC for Community Safety, Moodey explained:
- As per the recent crime stats, Gauteng remained province with the most reported kidnapping cases, of 2 109.
- Kempton Park is the police station with the highest rate of kidnappings, rising to 125 cases in 2019.
- This hot-spot of criminal activity saw cases rise by just under 15% in A 12-month period.
- Tembisa (88), Ivory Park (71), and Kagiso (67) – all in Gauteng – rank among the nation’s top five hot-spots.
- Delams in Mpumalanga breaks the GP dominance, and is the second-worst place for kidnappings (105) last year.
Police officers accused of working with criminals
As mentioned above, the DA representative is seriously concerned about the threat of collusion between criminal syndicates and bent police officers. He wants SAPS, the local Parliament and the Police Ministry to work together and investigate any corrupt coppers, and also asked Gauteng Premier David Makhura to establish a provincial specialised unit to deal with cases of kidnapping:
“There are kidnapping syndicates that target rich families and foreigners. There are also claims that these syndicates work with the police. These claims pose a serious threat to national security, if those tasked with the responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone within the country are involved in such a serious crime.”
“Gauteng residents are not safe and are living in fear: The crime intelligence unit in charge of kidnapping cases is understaffed, with only five members on-board. They are unable to efficiently investigate all the incidents, and most often, kidnapping cases don’t make it to the court role due to insufficient evidence.”
John Moodey, Shadow MEC for Community Safety in Gauteng
