KEY POINTS
- Taxi patrollers extort motorists, forcing them to pay illegal fees.
- Limpopo crime rates improve, but murder remains a concern.
- Police recruitment and high-density operations drive crime reduction.
Violet Mathye, Limpopo’s MEC for Transport and Community Safety, has expressed worry over an increase in extortion by taxi patrol officers.
Crime statistics show overall decline despite ongoing concerns
Following the release of the most recent crime data on Monday, which indicate a general decrease in crime in the majority of categories during the second and third quarters of the 2024–25 fiscal year, Mathye made these remarks. Targeted operations in high-crime areas and recent police recruitment initiatives are credited by provincial law enforcement officials with the improvement.
Following the release of the national crime statistics by Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu in February, the statistics were displayed at the Land Bank Building in Polokwan.
With a 3.1% overall drop in crime, Provincial Commissioner Lt. Gen. Thembi Hadebe emphasized Limpopo’s progress in combating crime.
“We celebrate a remarkable 29.5% decrease in murder in the third quarter, despite reporting a 2.5% increase in the second quarter,” Hadebe stated.
She said that the efficiency of policing tactics was demonstrated by the 13.2% and 0.1% decreases in attempted murder cases in the second and third quarters, respectively.
Between July and September of 2024, 30,063 arrests were made as a result of law enforcement actions, and between October and December of the same year, 28,946 arrests were made.
Improvements in violent crime categories were also noted in the study. The number of rape cases decreased by 2.7% in the third quarter and 7.3% in the second. Cases of sexual assault fell 0.8% in the third quarter after rising 7.3% in the second.
Limpopo courts have imposed sentences totaling 1,170 years in jail and 47 life sentences, demonstrating their continued severe stance against gender-based violence.
MEC Mathye praises police but warns of taxi extortion
Even while general crime has decreased, some police stations are still closely watched.
“These stations, including Thohoyandou, Mankweng, Seshego, and Maake, are still on our radar,” Hadebe stated.
According to The Citizen, positive trends were observed in property offenses. In the second and third quarters, non-residential robberies decreased by 4.7% and 7.6%, respectively. In the corresponding quarters, common robbery fell 6.0% and 4.8%, respectively.
Nonetheless, there are still concerns about home and business robberies, which has led to requests for greater community participation in preventative initiatives.
Hadebe emphasized how crucial community-police collaborations are to preserving the province’s favorable crime trends.
While acknowledging areas that need more attention, Mathye praised law enforcement for their efforts.
“Any loss of life is one too many,” she said, denouncing murder.
She also praised the departmental taxi unit’s collaboration with the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) for the stability of the taxi sector.
“We’ve discovered that talking things out is a more effective way to resolve disputes than using a gun,” Mathye stated.
She did, however, express alarm about new problems in the transportation industry.
“The increasing extortion by taxi patrol officers, who demand fees from drivers when they load passengers, is a cause for concern,” she stated.
