NATIONAL CRIME DATA


POLICE SUCCESS


3


TRUCK HIJACKINGS RISE 34.2% IN SOUTH AFRICA IN Q4 2020 TO 436 ATTACKS, NEW NATIONAL CRIME STATISTICS SHOW


South Africa’s Police Minister General Bheki Cele (MP) has revealed a 34.2% rise in truck hijackings across the country in the three months to the end of 2020.


National crime statistics for October, November and December show a total of 436 truck hijackings took place in the 92-day quarter, the highest total for the period for over four years:


• Oct-Dec 2019 – 325 truck hijackings • Oct-Dec 2018 – 312 • Oct-Dec 2017 – 339 • Oct-Dec 2016 – 324


This repeats the growth trend previously reported for July-September 2020, in which the South African Police Service (SAPS) recorded 411 incidents, up 31.7% year-on-year.


Gauteng province remains by far the biggest hotspot for truck hijackings, the police data confirms. It accounted for 248 of the crimes in July-September, up 52.1% over the corresponding period of 2019, while Q4/2020 statistics show 228 hijackings, a year-on-year change of over 30%.


In this latest period, SAPS recorded increases in truck hijackings in seven of South Africa’s nine provinces. Other than Gauteng, Western Cape saw the highest year-on-year growth, up from 33 to 67 incidents, while crime rates also rose in Eastern Cape, Free State, Kwazulu- Natal, Mpumalnga and North West. No hijacks were recorded in Northern Cape, while Limpopo’s year-on year statistics fell from 7 to 5 crimes.


Robberies of cash-in-transit vehicles are another big area of concern. They rose 66.7% to 65 incidents in October-December, leading the Minister to call for the police authority to change its response to these crimes as “the current


TRUCK HIJACKING


TREND OVER THREE MONTHS PERIOD TRUCK HIJACKING


100 120 140 160 180


20 40 60 80


0 EASTERN CAPE EASTERN CAPE


Oct_Dec 2019_20 Oct_Dec 2020_21 Case Diff %Change


Oct_Dec 2019_20 Oct_Dec 2020_21 Case Diff %Change


Eastern Cape 35 43


22,9%


Eastern Cape 35 43 8


8 22,9%


100 120 140 160 180


20 40 60 80


0 October FREE STATE


FREE STATE Free State 8


Free State 8


15 7


87,5%


15 7


87,5% GAUTENG GAUTENG


Gauteng 173 228 55


31,8% 157 157


TREND OVER THREE MONTHS PERIOD 154


154


123 121


105 102 105 102 55 55 33 33 102 84


123 121


125 125 102 84 2020/2021 compared to 2019/2020 2020/2021 compared to 2019/2020 23 23 -3 October -3 -2 -2 November November KWAZULU/NATALLIMPOPO


GautengKWAZULU/NATALLIMPOPO 173


Kwazulu/Na tal


228 21 55


25 31,8% 4 19,0%


21 25 4


Kwazulu/Na tal


Limpopo 7 5


19,0%-2 -28,6% Limpopo 5


MPUMALANGA NORTH WEST 7


-2


Mpumalanga 33 36


-28,6% 3 9,1%


33 36 3


MPUMALANGA NORTH WEST Mpumalanga


North West 15 17


9,1% 2 13,3% North West December


NORTHERN CAPE WESTERN CAPE 15


Northern Cape 17 0 2 0 0


13,3% 0 Cases


Western Cape


33 0


0 0


0 Cases 103,0%


67 34


NORTHERN CAPE WESTERN CAPE Northern CapeRSA


Western Cape


325 34


33 67


103,0% 34,2%


436 111


Republic of South Africa


RSA


Republic of South Africa


325 436 111


34,2% 52


plan in place now is clearly NOT working.” He added: “National Commissioner, if we are to win against these thugs, SAPS must go back to the drawing board and work with speed.” Immediate meetings are


now planned with CEOs in the cash-in-transit industry on this matter.


The National Crime report continued:


“An increase


in the targeting of delivery vans and trucks was recorded. The majority of the vehicles, including courier vans, were targeted for their


cargo, which is usually


food, appliances and other priced goods. The statistics expose some of the gaps that exist in policing certain crime categories. They also lay bare some of the policing shortcomings experienced in certain provinces.”


General Bheki Cele admitted the new crime statistics ‘do not paint a good picture.’


TAPA’s Incident Information Service (IIS) team are continuing their efforts to source more data from government and police authorities, as well as from businesses in South Africa. However, the intelligence contained in the IIS database for the country is already dominated by reports of violent truck hijackings, usually while vehicles are in transit, as well as regular fatalities connected to these crimes.


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2019/2020 compared to 2018/2019 18


December


2019/2020 compared to 2018/2019 18


2018/2019 2019/2020 2020/2021


 


2018/2019 2019/2020 2020/2021


52


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