Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says most crimes related to kidnappings are orchestrated from prison. Mchunu released the third quarter crime statistics for 2024/2025 today.

KIDNAPPINGS PLANNED BEHIND BARS

The minister referred to a recent case of kidnapping in Nelson Mandela Bay that was orchestrated from St. Alban's prison. He urged the Department of Correctional Services to strengthen their security and limit prisoners' access to contraband. "Surely prisoners elsewhere are behaving in the same way. Even the mastermind of the Lusisiki mass murders was found with cellphones again. He was even moved, but he still had access. I want to ask the Department of Correctional Services to take decisive action. This is a burn on police and an embarrassment to the whole country,' Mchunu said. He added that a total of 6,953 murders were recorded during the third quarter, showing a decrease of 9.8%. While all provinces recorded a decline in murder, Mchunu said the provinces that contributed the most number of murder cases during this period were: "Gauteng with 25%, KwaZulu-Natal 21.4%, Eastern Cape with 18.9%, and Western Cape with 17.4%. Firearms remain a weapon of choice during crimes, and in 2,886 of the cases reported, people were killed by the use of a firearm," he said.

MAJOR CONCERN

Mchunu said while they registered an overall reduction in contact crimes against women, they are deeply concerned by the increase in attempted murder cases against children aged 0 to 17 years. "This is an alarming development that calls for a concerted effort to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. Additionally, rape cases have increased in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and the Free State, whereas other provinces have recorded decreases. "