Latest Cape Town kidnapping puts police strategies under the microscope

The involvement of a national team led to questions about the Western Cape police’s capability and strategies on handling kidnapping cases. File picture.

The involvement of a national team led to questions about the Western Cape police’s capability and strategies on handling kidnapping cases. File picture.

Published Jul 27, 2022

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Cape Town - How the Western Cape police probe and resolve kidnappings is once again under the spotlight after yet another kidnapping in the city.

On Friday last week, the daughter of the owner of a well-known chain of furniture stores was reportedly snatched outside the store in Montague Gardens.

The latest kidnapping came weeks after businessman Ismail Rajah was rescued during an intelligence-driven police raid on a Khayelitsha house, and after Primrose Park mother Shireen Essop was found traumatised but unhurt weeks after she was kidnapped in Philippi.

Police arrested a man, 28, caught in possession of items belonging to Essop.

Confirming Friday’s kidnapping, police spokesperson FC van Wyk said the family had requested that the media respect their privacy and that no release be made by police to the media which could place the victim in harm’s way.

“At this stage, the investigation is at a very sensitive stage and the dissemination of any information may jeopardise the progress made thus far,” he said.

Politicians and communities say kidnappings in the province have become a top concern.

National Freedom Party (NFP) parliamentary leader Ahmed Shaik-Emam said: “The NFP calls on Police Minister Bheki Cele to prioritise kidnapping through a co-ordinated national plan, as this lucrative crime has been steadily increasing over the last few years.”

In June, when Good Hope Construction founder Rajah was rescued after being held for 111 days, the Crime Intelligence National Anti-Kidnapping Task Team was credited with the rescue, despite Western Cape police having been on the case.

The involvement of a national team led to questions about the Western Cape police’s capability and strategies on handling kidnapping cases.

Parow businessman Ismail Rajah. Picture: Supplied

Asked by the Cape Argus whether the province had a specific dedicated anti-kidnapping unit and, if not, whether it was time for the Western Cape to have a specific anti-kidnapping unit to combat these crimes, Van Wyk said the Province had an allocated Provincial Kidnapping Task Team, established in 2019.

He said the team dealt with all kidnapping related crimes within the province and consists of: “Various internal and external role players such as, hostage and Crisis negotiators, provincial and local crime intelligence, a Special Task Force and the Provincial Organised Crime detectives.”

The police said the task team carried out regular joint operations with other units.

Asked about sharing information on criminal activity and intelligence, especially on kidnappings, Safety and Security Mayco member JP Smith said the City’s safety and security directorate worked with police and other role-players across a number of forums.

This co-operation provided opportunities for information sharing, threat analyses, resource deployment, etc.

“It’s important to note that these are pre-existing platforms and have not been established specifically for kidnapping. The City has a good working relationship with SAPS, and that is why we engage them directly," he said.

About the relationship between the police and provincial security, Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said that as with any relationship, regardless of the nature, it required constant work.

Allen said the Western Cape was committed to working with the police and sight should not be lost of the fact that the police were a national competency and the national government had full operational control over them.

“We are clear that the SAPS should be devolved to capable provincial governments, such as ourselves, as we’re better and much closer placed to the needs on the ground,” he said.

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Cape Argus