Crime Stats: 2,000 kidnappings reported in SA – These are the motives

Police Minister Bheki Cele said the second quarter crime statistics are “deeply disturbing”. This is understandable when you consider the rise in kidnappings.

South Africa has seen a sharp increase in kidnappings over the past two years. And even though the Moti brothers were returned safely, most kidnapping victims aren’t as lucky.

Here’s what Cele had to say about kidnappings in South Africa.

Crime stats Q2: Kidnappings

Motives and occurences

Cele confirmed 2,000 kidnappings had been reported in South Africa during the second quarter – between July and September 2021.

He said officials analysed a sample of 620 cases. In that sample 52 kidnappings were ransom-related, while seven involved human-trafficking.

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During July this year, 507 kidnappings were reported, followed by 694 in August and 799 in September.

This is an increase of 455 compared to the same period in 2020 , when 414 cases were reported in July, 519 in August, and 622 in September – 1,555 in total.

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Kidnappings by province

The data suggests most kidnappings happened in Gauteng – 796 between July and September 2021, compared to 471 during the same period in 2020.

During the 2021 Q2 period:

• 796 people were kidnapped in Gauteng,
• 407 in KwaZulu-Natal,
• 219 in the Western Cape,
• 171 in Mpumalanga,
• 130 in the Eastern Cape,
• 128 in North West,
• 74 in the Free State,
• 64 in Limpopo,
• 11 in the Northern Cape.

Mayfair kidnapping

On Wednesday 17 November, a grade 5 pupil was kidnapped outside the gates of the EP Bauman Primary School in Mayfair, Johannesburg.

According to an eyewitness, two armed men pulled up in a Toyota Yaris as the students were lining up outside the gate to be screened and sanitised.

Soon after the kidnapping, the girl’s mother received a phone call, warning her to contact authorities.

The eyewitness suspects the kidnappers knew their target because they called their girl by name. Two days later, the search continues.

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