Residents urged to stay vigilant as kidnappings surge in Kempton Park
Kempton Park has emerged as the province’s kidnapping hotspot, recording 76 cases during the April–June quarter, a sharp rise that has alarmed lawmakers and residents alike. The figure was presented during a stakeholder engagement by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety on 18 September 2026.
Provincial crime statistics released earlier showed that across Gauteng 2 367 kidnapping offences were recorded in the quarter — more than half of the 4 638 reported nationally. The latest SAPS data, published on 28 August 2026, shows Kempton Park police station recorded 76 kidnapping cases between April and June 2026, up from 48 during the same period in 2025 — a 58.3% increase.
The increase comes as Ekurhuleni continues to grapple with the discovery of the bodies of nine women across the municipality in recent weeks, a factor the committee said made the kidnapping figures particularly worrying. The provincial oversight body stressed that kidnapping often intersects with other serious crimes, including hijacking, organised crime and ransom demands, elevating the threat to communities.
“These figures should serve as a wake-up call to every law enforcement agency and every level of government. Kidnapping cannot be treated as an isolated crime when its tentacles extend into hijacking, organised crime, ransom demands, and the targeting of vulnerable people,” the committee said.
Not all stations in Ekurhuleni showed the same trend. Ivory Park police station recorded 50 kidnappings in the quarter, up from 41 — a rise of about 22% — while Vosloorus reported 52 cases, down from 69 a year earlier (a 24.6% decrease). The committee pointed to differing patterns across precincts and called for targeted, intelligence-led responses.
| Police station | Apr–Jun 2026 | Apr–Jun 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kempton Park | 76 | 48 | +58.3% |
| Ivory Park | 50 | 41 | +22% |
| Vosloorus | 52 | 69 | -24.6% |
At the engagement, committee members urged a coordinated response involving SAPS, metro police, intelligence structures and community policing forums. They emphasised that visible, local interventions — including increased patrols, hot-spot policing, rapid investigative follow-up and better victim support — are urgently required to restore public confidence.
For Kempton Park residents the immediate questions are practical: how will police use the additional data to prevent abductions, what resources will be directed to hotspot areas, and how will vulnerable groups be protected? The committee’s statement said intensified policing and intelligence-led investigations should be prioritised but stopped short of outlining specific new resources or timelines.
- Kidnapping figures for Gauteng: 2 367 (Apr–Jun 2026).
- Kempton Park police station: 76 kidnappings in the quarter.
- Committee demands: intensified policing, intelligence-led investigations, visible interventions.
Community leaders and residents told local structures they want swift, measurable action rather than reassurances. With the link to other violent offences and organised crime stressed by the committee, the coming weeks will test whether law-enforcement agencies can turn statistics into safer streets for Kempton Park families and commuters.
Local residents who have information about abductions are urged to contact the nearest police station. The committee warned that kidnapping must not be treated in isolation and called on all spheres of government to respond urgently.
