Public safety alert: Gauteng officials warn of rising dangers in online meet-ups
As kidnappings in Maboneng rise, people are urged to verify online contacts, meet in public places, and inform loved ones of their whereabouts to avoid falling victim to digital luring crimes.
Image: Unsplash
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature's Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has issued a serious warning to the public amid a surge in violent crimes linked to online dating and social media mee-tups, particularly in the Maboneng precinct of Johannesburg.
This comes after an unannounced oversight visit to Jeppe Police Station on Thursday, last week where the Committee was briefed on a disturbing pattern of victims being lured through hookup apps to Maboneng, only to be kidnapped, robbed, or assaulted.
The station management revealed that individuals from across Gauteng are being targeted, with several incidents mirroring the high-profile murder case of Olerato Mongale. In that case, the victim was deceived by strangers met through online or public platforms before being violently attacked.
The Committee expressed particular concern about the recent arrest of a gang operating in Maboneng that deliberately targeted members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
It condemned these hate-fueled crimes and highlighted that such targeted attacks reflect a broader crisis of safety facing vulnerable groups in urban areas.
'The Committee condemns these crimes in the strongest terms and calls for heightened vigilance from all citizens,'' said the Committee.
The warning arrives just as Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu released the Fourth Quarter Crime Statistics (January to March 2025), which underline the gravity of the issues raised during the Committee's oversight visit.
According to the national crime data, Gauteng continues to feature among the country's most crime-burdened provinces.
The province contributed 19.1% to the national rape figures, making it one of the two highest contributors along with KwaZulu-Natal. Commercial crime also rose nationally by 4.7 %, with Gauteng recording 12,074 incidents, the highest in the country.
While national murder rates showed a modest decline in most provinces, Gauteng, along with the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape, still contributed the bulk of murders in the country.
These high-crime provinces remain the focal point for SAPS interventions. The risks to law enforcement are also substantial. Out of the 22 police officers killed during this quarter, 10 of them were from Gauteng, highlighting how policing in the province carries deadly risks and speaks to the levels of organised criminal activity.
The committee welcomed recent developments in the Mongale case, including the fatal shooting of one suspect during a police operation in KwaZulu-Natal.
However, it stressed that two suspects remain at large and that public assistance is critical to apprehending them.
'We urge the public to assist in locating the other two suspects. Justice must be served for Olerato and all victims of these heinous crimes,' the Committee said.
The rise in crimes involving victims lured online also reflects a broader trend outlined by Mchunu during the briefing and presentation of the crime statistics. He acknowledged that while progress has been made in certain crime categories, serious concerns persist in sexual offences, commercial crime, and the proliferation of illegal firearms.
Mchunu noted that 4,023 cases of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition were reported nationally in the quarter, a 2.7% increase from the same period last year.
This data reinforces fears that many of the crimes, including those in Maboneng, are enabled by easy access to deadly weapons.
Gauteng residents are being urged to exercise extreme caution when using online platforms to meet new people.
The Committee advised against meeting strangers in isolated or unfamiliar areas and encouraged individuals to inform trusted contacts of their plans. They further urged users to verify the identities of strangers through video calls before agreeing to meet in person and to report any suspicious activity to SAPS without delay.
As crime trends shift and criminals exploit new methods, particularly through digital and social platforms, authorities are racing to adapt.
Minister Mchunu highlighted that fighting gender-based violence, dismantling organised crime syndicates, and removing illegal firearms from circulation remain top priorities for the SAPS and government at large.
'Dismantling kidnapping syndicates and the broader networks behind them is a policing priority. We are adapting our strategies to respond to the digital spaces where many of these crimes now originate.'
The public is being asked to remain vigilant, informed, and involved in the shared responsibility of community safety.
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