Community Safety
1. (a) How many kidnappings have been recorded in (i) 2019/20 and (ii) 2020/21 to date, (b) for each financial year in (a), how many of the kidnap victims were children and (c) how many (i) hostage crises, (ii) negotiating teams and (iii) trained hostage negotiators are there in the province;
2. how prevalent are child kidnappings in the Western Cape;
3. whether child kidnappings are linked to organised crime; if so, what are the relevant details;
4. whether his Department is monitoring reports of attempted child kidnappings; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
The South African Police Services informed me as follows:
(1) - (3) A response from SAPS will be submitted immediately upon receipt.
Minister of Community Safety
4. The Department of Community Safety intends to prioritise the monitoring of child kidnappings due to the increasing prevalence thereof. Our intention is to develop a tool in conjunction with the Western Cape Children’s Commissioner and Department of Social Development to ensure that cases are monitored and tracked through the Court Watching Brief unit. Currently, we do not have a specific focus on child kidnappings, but we will be highlighting cases when they are placed on the court roll and closed due to police inefficiencies.
The South African Police Services informed me as follows:
1 (a) (i) 756
(ii) April – June 2020 - 141
(b) (i) 125
(ii) April – June 2020 - 17
(c) (i) 0 hostage crises received.
(ii) There are 11 negotiating teams in the Western Cape
(iii) There are 44 trained hostage negotiators in the Western Cape.
2. In 2019/20 financial year, 20% of reported kidnapping cases of which children were victims
In 2020/21 financial year April – June 2020, 12% of reported kidnapping cases of which children were victims.
3. In one criminal case where 2 boys were kidnapped for a ransom, it is linked to organised crime.
4. The response was submitted on 6 November 2020.
