According to 2023/2024 SAPS Crime Statistics between July and September there was an alarming 4300 reported kidnapping cases.

“Statistics show that most of these kidnappings occur within Gauteng. It is important to note that kidnappers are not only targeting the rich and affluent, but they are also targeting people in lower-income communities,” says BLSA National Project Manager Roelof Viljoen.

According to the 2023/2024 stats the top five kidnapping areas are: Protea, Moroka, Orange Farm, Jeppe and Ivory Park, all of which are in Gauteng.

The number of missing and kidnapped adults and children in South Africa is alarming, and with the festive season upon us, we could see an increase in these incidents.

Here are some tips to follow should a loved one be kidnapped or go missing:

• Please report the matter to your nearest police station or contact the Bureau for Missing Persons as soon as possible; you do not need to wait 24 hours.
• Take a recent photograph of the missing person with you to the police station so that it can be scanned into the National Bureau for Missing Persons database. This database is a Crime Stop project and police all over the country use it.
• Give any information that might help to identify the person, such as their age, height, hair colour, eye colour, and any identifying marks such as scars or tattoos. You may be asked to fill in forms giving all this information.
• A detective will be assigned to the case. You should make sure that you have the name and contact details of the detective and keep in contact with them.
• You should give that detective any new information about the missing person that you get after you have reported the case.
• Remember to inform the police should the missing person be found.