Johannesburg Central has emerged as the place in the country where you are most likely to be robbed and kidnapped.
This is according to the quarterly crime statistics released by police minister Bheki Cele in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The Johannesburg Central police station led in reported robberies at non-residential premises and came a close second in kidnapping cases between July and September 2022. It was followed by Thohoyandou police station in Limpopo with 54 robberies at non-residential premises, and East London, Eastern Cape, came in third with 54.
Johannesburg Central recorded 64 cases of robberies at non-residential premises and 55 cases of kidnapping up by 41 from the previous quarter. Only the Vosloorus police station on the East Rand recorded more with 57 reported in the same period.
Thembisa police station came third with 52 cases of kidnapping, reflecting a significant increase from last quarter's 29.
Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, is now the country's rape and murder capital, while one is most likely to be hijacked in Nyanga, Cape Town, and robbed at a residential property in Plessislaer in Pietermaritzburg.
The police station situated north of Durban recorded most murder cases between July and September at 99, which was seven more than the previous quarter, while last quarter's leading station Umlazi trailed Inanda by just four, recording 95 cases.
Inanda police station also had the dubious honour of most rape cases reported in the period at 78, up by 11 from last quarter's 67. Mthatha in the Eastern Cape came second with 70 cases up by 12 from 58.
Plessislaer leads the way in robberies at residential premises, recording a scary 121 cases, up by 48 from last quarter's 73. KwaDukuza, also in KZN was second with 64 cases, despite recording a decline by 25 cases from last quarter.
Umlazi, KZN, came third with 59 robbery cases at residential places reported cases, recording an increase of 19 cases.
Parliament's portfolio committee on police chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson said increase in crime was reaching “crisis proportions and required concerted efforts”.
“The committee’s argument is that a collaboration between the police and the community is the only basis on which the fight can be won. Also, the enhancement of the detectives and crime intelligence environments will add the necessary energy and expertise in the fight against crime,” she said.
Crezane Bosch, DA Gauteng member of the provincial legislature and spokesperson for community safety, said Gauteng residents risk experiencing crime daily “as the crime statistics reflected no improvement”.
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