Saturday’s attack in Kiepersol, Hazyview: Robbery on the increase as rifle-theft trend emerges
Does Hazyview have enough SAPS men and women in the field?
The DA’s political head for the Mbombela and Nkomazi constituencies issued a notice this morning in which the performance of the police in Hazyview was placed under the spotlight. Saturday’s attack on a family in Kiepersol served as an example of rifle theft as motivation for robberies.
Ms Sonja Boshoff, who compiled the press release, referred to South Africa’s most recent crime statistics, in which incidents of common robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances – in Hazyview, specifically – have more than doubled in the past 10 years, from 77 incidents in 2004, to 181 in 2014.
“Moreover, robbery at residential premises have almost doubled in the past two years, from 26 incidents in 2012, to 50 in 2014,” Boshoff stated.
Reference was also made to increased incidents of poaching in the Kruger National Park.
Increased police presence in Hazyview was identified as a priority that requires urgent attention and Boshoff indicated that this matter would be aired with the minister of police, Nkosinathi Nhleko, in 2015.
