Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape are home to the country’s carjacking hotspots.
This was the finding of the latest South African Police (SAPS) crime statistics, which were reported on by BusinessTech.
The SAPS statistics show that between 1 January and 31 March 2021, the following police stations reported the highest number of carjackings:
- Nyanga, Western Cape – 107 carjackings
- Loate, Gauteng – 57 carjackings
- Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal – 56 carjackings
These numbers were not only the highest in the country, they were also up substantially compared the the number of carjackings reported at the stations in previous years.
Top 30 Stations
The table below details the top 30 police stations in the country in terms of reported carjackings.
Area and Vehicle
The SAPS crime statistics went on to detail the areas in which carjackings take place, along with the type of vehicles stolen.
Townships, including both formal and informal residentials areas, accounted for the large majority of carjacking cases.
This was followed by Urban Suburbs, while Rural Areas/Villages was in a distance third.
Sedans and hatchbacks were the most carjacked vehicles during the period, followed by bakkies and panel vans.
The graph below details the crime statistics in this regard.
SAPS plans
Minister of Police Bheki Cele stated that the SAPS has taken note of the carjacking hotspots in the country, and will implement measures to tackle the crime in these areas.
“The SAPS crime registrar identified the top 30 high crime rate police stations nationally, in respect of contact crime,” said Cele.
“During the month of February 2021, there was a deployment of 450 members to identified high crime stations in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape provinces, focusing on contact crimes.”
“In addition, senior SAPS officers have been assigned to visit and monitor these police stations.”
Keyword: South Africa’s hijacking hotspots