Crime drops in Limpopo but extortion by taxi patrollers a concerning trend, say police

MEC for Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo, Violet Mathye in Limpopo has expressed concern over the rise in extortion incidents by taxi patrollers.

This comes after crime rates in Limpopo have shown a decline across most categories during the second and third quarters of the 2024/2025 financial year, according to official statistics released on Monday.

Provincial law enforcement officials attribute the improvement to targeted operations in high-crime areas and recent police recruitment efforts.

The statistics were formally presented at the Landbank Building in Polokwane on Monday, 3 March, following the national crime statistics announcement made by Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu in February.

Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe detailed the province’s crime-fighting achievements, noting an overall decrease in crime of 3.1%.

Property-related offences dropped by 0.5%, while other serious crimes decreased by 6.8%.

“While we report a 2.5% increase in murder in the second quarter, we celebrate a remarkable 29.5% decrease in the third quarter,” said Hadebe.

“This positive trend is further supported by a 13.2% decrease in attempted murder in the second quarter and a slight reduction of 0.1% in the third quarter, which clearly indicates that our strategies are making a significant impact.”

Arrests and violent crime trends in Limpopo

Hadebe revealed that law enforcement operations resulted in 30,063 suspect arrests during the second quarter, from July to September 2024.

Meanwhile, 28,946 suspects were apprehended in the third quarter from October to December 2024.

The statistics highlighted improvements in several violent crime categories, including rape cases, which decreased by 7.3% in the second quarter and 2.7% in the third quarter.

Sexual assault statistics showed mixed results, with a 7.3% increase during the second quarter but a subsequent 0.8% decrease in the third quarter.

The province’s courts have taken a firm stance against gender-based violence offenders, handing down sentences totalling 1,170 years of imprisonment and 47 life sentences.

Several police stations remain under close monitoring despite overall improvements.

“Despite this remarkable improvement in our crime, we continue to monitor this category. These stations continue to be on our radar: Thohoyandou, Mankweng, Seshego and Maake, as well as other police stations,” Hadebe explained.

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Property crime and drug enforcement

Property crime statistics showed positive trends, with non-residential robbery decreasing by 4.7% in the second quarter and 7.6% in the third quarter.

Common robbery declined by 6.0% and 4.8% in the respective quarters.

The report noted that house and commercial robberies remain areas of concern, prompting calls for heightened community involvement in prevention efforts.

Drug enforcement efforts yielded more than 3,400 arrests across the second and third quarters.

Hadebe emphasised the critical importance of community-police partnerships in maintaining the positive momentum in crime reduction.

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Limpopo Transport MEC commends progress, notes areas for improvement

Mathye praised the police force for their dedication to public safety while acknowledging areas requiring continued attention.

She condemned the murder, saying any death as a result of it was one too much.

She further noted the calm in the taxi industry, attributing gratitude to the “role players being the departmental taxi unit and Santaco”.

“We have learnt that discussions are a solution to conflicts than through the barrel of a gun,” said Matyhe.

However, she expressed concern about emerging challenges in the transportation sector.

“We are concerned with the new phenomenon of extortion by the taxi patrollers who force motorists to pay a fee if they are found to be loading passengers,” the MEC concluded.

The province’s improved crime statistics are largely attributed to the deployment of 553 newly enlisted police constables, who have strengthened various police units and enhanced visibility and crime prevention efforts.

Law enforcement officials cited the targeted high-density operations “Shanela” and “Kukula” in crime hotspots as particularly effective strategies, along with community awareness campaigns.

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