LIMPOPO – The police in Limpopo has reported significant progress in reducing crime, with a notable 3.3% reduction per capita in murder cases, making Limpopo the safest province in the country.
Provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe, however, expressed concern over rising cases of rape and murder in the Thohoyandou policing area in Vhembe and called on officers to
step up efforts in reducing these crimes.
“We have intercepted and recovered numerous vehicles worth millions of rand, including high-powered vehicles en route to be smuggled out of the country. We will intensify anti-smuggling
and intelligence-driven operations across the province, working closely with the Border Management Authority, especially at borderline stations such as Musina, Masisi, Tshamutumbu, and Muswodi,” said Hadebe.
Hadebe, alongside the MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Violet Mathye and CPF chairperson Frans Kgasago, addressed the media on the release of the first quarter crime statistics for 2024/25 held at the SAPS boardroom in Polokwane last Tuesday.
Statistics revealed a 3.8% decrease in rape cases and a 6% decline in sexual offenses. Additionally, there was a 9.8% increase in crimes detected due to police interventions, with significant rises in illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, drug-related offences, and driving under the influence.
In the first quarter, the police arrested 6 883 undocumented foreign nationals.
Among them, 117 were arrested for murder, 83 for attempted murder, 158 for rape, and 1 429 for drug related offenses. Twenty-one suspects were apprehended for stock theft.
The MEC praised Hadebe and her team for their dedication to creating safer communities: “Government has adopted a ‘no-nonsense’ approach towards crime, particularly cross-border crime and corruption. However, we are concerned by the recent spike in criminal activities around Masisi, near the Zimbabwe border, where criminals brazenly ambush residents in their homes and forcibly take their belongings.”
