While South Africa is grappling with a significant surge in kidnapping cases, alarming data from Statistics SA (StatsSA) reveals that 85% of the victims are women and children. According to the 2023/2024 SA Police Service crime statistics, there were a staggering 4,300 reported kidnapping cases between July and September.
Additionally, the last quarter of 2023 saw the murders of 293 children and 881 women. In a recent report by the Sunday Independent, international statistics for 2023 indicated that South Africa has the highest kidnapping rate among African countries, with 9.57 kidnappings per 100,000 people.
We are now joined on the line by Yusuf Abramjee a South African journalist and anti-crime activist