Africa-Press – South-Africa. Don’t pay ransom. Allow us to do our job.” This is the sentiment from Western Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, in the face of rising cases of kidnapping in the province.
In the latest quarterly crime statistics, the Western Cape recorded a 13% year-on-year increase. There were 248 cases reported across the province between July and September this year, compared to the 219 reported between July and September 2021.
News24 previously reported that more than 4 000 cases had been reported between July and September this year. Most of these were reported in Gauteng (2 104) and KwaZulu-Natal (785).
In the Western Cape, Cape Town’s West Metro district had the highest number of cases, at 100, followed by the East Metro (97). The police stations that recorded the highest number of reported kidnappings were Milnerton with 20 cases (and an increase of 81%), Mitchells Plain with 13, and Gugulethu with 12.
According to the police, most of the kidnappings were hijacking-related (44 cases), robbery-related (36), or due to retaliation and revenge (18). In 14 of the cases over the three months, a ransom was demanded from family members.
In the most recent case, eight-year-old Abirah Dekhta was abducted on her way to school in Cape Town. She was found two weeks later during an intelligence-led operation in Khayelitsha.
The increase in the Western Cape mirrors the national quarterly crime statistics. Patekile urged the families of kidnapping victims to refrain from paying a ransom.
He said: The police commissioner said that in some cases, the families undermined police negotiations and investigations by paying a ransom without the police knowing.
“If you don’t pay, we get them. If you pay, another person is going to be a victim,” he said.
Western Cape Community Safety MEC Reagan Allen said that cooperation and joint law enforcement operations had shown success, especially in the recovery of Dekhta. He called for a joint approach between law enforcement agencies, along with the support of communities, to combat the kidnappings.
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