Two weeks ago, Linda Makhubo, a teacher at Tetelo Secondary School in Protea North, Soweto, took an e-hailing taxi at about 2pm. That would be the last time he was seen alive.
His beaten-up body was found later in the week by residents of Meadowlands. The autopsy results, according to Makhubo’s friend, showed he was strangled to death and dumped in the veld. The reason for his killing remains a mystery to his fellow teachers and friends, but some suspect he may have been a victim of kidnapping.
Their suspicions may not be far-fetched considering the surge in the number of kidnappings recorded in Soweto, with a significant rise highlighted in Jabulani. According to crime statistics, the number of kidnappings in Gauteng increased by 15.8% between January and March and the police stations that recorded the highest number of abductions were in Johannesburg.
These figures not only raise alarm but equally leave communities feeling vulnerable and wondering if crime will ever be brought under control. While the number of reported kidnappings is increasing – especially in Jabulani, where 47 cases were recorded between January and March – they also point to a community that has not yet lost faith in the police.
By reporting these cases, the community is hoping the police will be able to get to the bottom of the problem and find the perpetrators. The reality, however, is that success in finding those responsible isn’t encouraging as the number of cases continues to rise.
We are told by the government that there are plans to tackle the escalating crime, which continues to claim lives daily. But what we don’t see is the effect of these plans. The crime of kidnapping, according to experts, has become a low-hanging fruit for criminals who abduct victims to steal funds from their bank accounts.
If that is the motive behind these crimes, it makes you wonder why the police struggle to break the back of the networks behind it. Of course, the police can't cover every corner of the country, but there is no denying that part of the reason the police are struggling to tackle crimes such as kidnapping has to do with a lack of capacity and resources.
The alarm sounded by the residents of Jabulani about the spike in abductions in the area need not fall on deaf ears. Our police must be well-resourced, better trained and, more importantly, use intelligence-driven methods and work with communities to tackle this scourge before more lives are lost.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.