SAPS Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Shadrack Sibiya says kidnapping for ransom is growing gradually.
This as the world population review says South Africa is among the top 10 countries with the highest rates of kidnapping in the world. Statistics reveal, that from 2022 to 2023, there has been 15 000 kidnappings in South Africa.
Sibiya explains, “We actually connect both international and local and seeing that we do have this problem at hand. What happened then is that we put a multi-disciplinary structure in place that consists of various experts within the SAPS to look into the suspect and to make sure that the perpetrators of this phenomenon are put behind bars.”
Specialist Investigator Mike Bolhuis says there are not enough skilled policemen countrywide that can deal with kidnappings.
“The few policemen that are doing the work is good at it. The problem is not that there is not skilled policemen and not enough done against serious violent crime in SA. It is the highest in the world and therefore needs constant monitoring by highly specialised, highly trained, highly effective professional policemen that can really protect and serve.”
