Petty criminals are being allowed to advance to kidnapping, experts say
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Lizette Lancaster, researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, says a failure of policing of what South Africans consider “petty crimes”, such as house break-ins and robberies, can have dire consequences, as crime syndicates look to score easier and bigger paydays. She says the spike South Africa has seen in kidnapping cases may be a side-effect of this.
On average 82 kidnappings are being reported daily in South Africa.
While kidnap for ransom cases are considered chilling, Lancaster suggests that the spike in kidnapping cases may be linked to theft and hijacking syndicates branching into new territories upon seeing the success kidnapping syndicates are having in the country.
The highest ransom paid in South Africa [that we are aware of] was the R72m paid by businessman Nazim Moti, for his four sons.
Crisis Group senior consultant for Southern Africa, Piers Pigou, agrees that greater emphasis needs to be placed on policing what South Africans have come to consider petty crimes, before criminals have a chance to organise.
He says that should we fail to halt syndicates at their inception, all South Africans, from different races, areas and, importantly, pay scales, could become a target of kidnapping.
On average 82 kidnappings are being reported daily in South Africa.
While kidnap for ransom cases are considered chilling, Lancaster suggests that the spike in kidnapping cases may be linked to theft and hijacking syndicates branching into new territories upon seeing the success kidnapping syndicates are having in the country.
The highest ransom paid in South Africa [that we are aware of] was the R72m paid by businessman Nazim Moti, for his four sons.
Crisis Group senior consultant for Southern Africa, Piers Pigou, agrees that greater emphasis needs to be placed on policing what South Africans have come to consider petty crimes, before criminals have a chance to organise.
He says that should we fail to halt syndicates at their inception, all South Africans, from different races, areas and, importantly, pay scales, could become a target of kidnapping.