The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng said that the latest crime statistics show organised criminal syndicates are operating with growing confidence and little fear of arrest.
This follows the release of the latest fourth-quarter crime statistics for the 2025/2026 financial year by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The figures show Gauteng remains South Africa’s kidnapping capital, with an average of 27 kidnapping cases reported daily between January and March 2026.
The DA said the province accounted for nearly 55% of all kidnapping cases recorded nationally during the period, with cases increasing from 2,414 in 2025 to 2,452 in 2026.
The party also said 19 of the country’s top 30 police stations for kidnapping are located in Gauteng, while the province recorded 163 ransom-related kidnappings – more than 75% of the national total.
DA Gauteng MPL Crezane Bosch said that these figures show the province is failing to tackle increasingly organised and sophisticated criminal activity.
“The crime-fighting strategies employed by the Premier Panyaza Lesufi-led government are lagging in addressing increasingly innovative and organised criminal activity that is running amok. The 27 kidnappings taking place daily demand urgent, decisive intervention, not political slogans, or soundbites of imagined safety.”
Dimakatso Leshoro
www.ewn.co.za
