Recent statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS) reveal that burglaries have emerged as the predominant form of crime reported during loadshedding.
To assist with this, the Western Cape government has said it has deployed dedicated Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) officers to areas most vulnerable to criminal activity during rolling blackouts.
Also read: Western Cape Police make several arrests in the fight against crime
According to IOL, property crimes came at the top of the list, accounting for 29.2% of reported incidents during loadshedding. Contact crimes came in second, accounting for 23.7% from December 2022 to January 2023.
The data also revealed that Delft, Bishop Lavis and Nyanga had the highest number of reported crimes in the province.
Premier Alan Winde stated during a patrol in Hanover Park on Friday evening that he was made aware of complaints about increased criminal activity during loadshedding, saying that in addition to the economic and job devastation caused by mass power outages, it also makes communities more vulnerable to criminals.
‘Community members often complain to me about the link between loadshedding and crime: criminals are taking full advantage of rolling blackouts, preying on law-abiding citizens under the cover of darkness,’ he said.
He added, ‘Leap is adding value to the war on crime. We know we still have a long way to go in beating back crime, but we are on the right track, using data and evidence to guide our policing efforts.’
Winde, on the other hand, was accused of grandstanding by Hanover Park community police forum (CPF) spokesperson Kashiefa Mohammed Han, who stated that the Western Cape government must not politicise poverty. Han alluded to the fact that Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith launched the drones in Hanover Park in December and that many murders have occurred with no one being arrested for any of them.
Han said, ‘There was no walk as they drove through Hanover Park, and they never reached the red zone area. And we were not even informed that they were coming to the area,’ IOL reports.
‘Most shootings happen during loadshedding; gangsters watch their targets while the lights are still on, and the lights in flats, and the councillor knows about that but nothing has been fixed. They say crime is under control, but our people live in fear. Our community is disappointed in all of the leading role players,’ said Han.
Han went on to say that they caught burglars in Newfields yesterday who were again taking advantage of loadshedding and questioned, ‘Where are the Leap officers and the rest of the Western Cape government officials when our community needs them?’
Meanwhile, according to the IOL, Delft CPF spokesperson Charles George claims that loadshedding has inspired criminals to cut the power themselves.
He explained, ‘Crime breeds during loadshedding, as we have discovered, but now these criminals cut cables and people are offline – not just for a few hours but for days and sometimes weeks.’
What frustrates George is that the perpetrators are sometimes known. The police are called, but they do not arrive, so extra policing is required in such cases.
‘Nothing has been done about this, and we see that crime is getting out of hand, and we want the police, including Leap officers, to be proactive in fighting this type of crime,’ he added.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Relax with a full-body and head massage at home for R249 (valued at R750). Get it here.
Also read:
WSAR rescues elderly hikers during busy weekend on Cape mountains
Picture: Elijah O’Donnell / Pexels