Rising tide of kidnappings grips SA, new approach needed

Kidnappings in South Africa have skyrocketed over the past decade, a worrying indication of the growth of organised crime, say experts.

According to a recent Statistics South Africa report, more than 16 000 kidnappings are recorded annually in the country. It added 85% of the victims are women and children.

Kidnapping for ransom lucrative business

Johan Burger of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) highlighted the substantial growth of violent and organised crime, with kidnappings for ransom becoming a lucrative business.

“The figures are a major concern of how far and wide this issue is,” he said. “Kidnappings are on the increase and it is just one form of several other crime types, a bigger web we call money-making rackets.

“Most of them involve organised crime syndicates, some of them with international roots.

“This worrying trend is also not helped by the fact that we are listed seventh in the world for organised crime activities.”

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Kidnapping increased 11% between October and December

The South African Police Service’s (Saps) third-quarter crime statistics, October to December, showed kidnappings had increased by 11% to 4 577 cases over the three-month period, while 285 children and 1 135 women were murdered.

The report linked kidnapping figures to ransom demands, human trafficking or extortion.

Gloria de Gee, director of Umgeni Community Empowerment Centre, an anti-human trafficking organisation which protects women and children, said the figures were concerning.

“The latest statistics highlight the urgent need for enhanced measures to protect vulnerable members of society,” she said.

“Every abduction represents a tragic disruption of lives and communities, highlighting the urgent need for concerted action to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, particularly women and children.”

Victims women and children

De Gee said evidence indicated a great number of victims of kidnapping were women and children.

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“Our concern is that more women and children are missing than the ones reported.

“They are kidnapped and trafficked as a commodity for different reasons, like sex, exploitation, organ transplant, slavery… and we have been calling for urgent attention to be given to our boarders and ports.”

Burger said there was a weakness in the police intelligence units and emphasised a different approach would be needed to reduce incidents of kidnapping.

“The performance of both the police and crime intelligence units, as well as the state security agency, do not seem to be particularly effective as far as crime syndicates are concerned,” he said.

“The same goes for the detective service in terms of investigating those crimes involving organised crime.

“This creates space for these syndicates to manoeuvre and exploit the weaknesses that exist within the criminal justice system, and this is why we see these crimes increasing almost year on year,” he continued.

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