The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety welcomes the decisive intervention by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to establish two specialised units in Gauteng aimed at confronting some of the most dangerous and complex criminal threats facing the Province.
The first specialised unit will focus on the investigation of political assassinations and politically motivated killings of government officials. This unit will mirror the model of the Political Killings Task Team, which has previously demonstrated the importance of dedicated investigative capacity in dealing with targeted and organised violence.
The second specialised unit will focus on crimes related to kidnappings, extortion and criminal activities targeting infrastructure projects.
These crimes have increasingly become sophisticated and coordinated, posing a serious threat not only to public safety, but also to economic stability and service delivery in the Province.
The Committee strongly supports the establishment of these specialised units, particularly in light of the alarming crime statistics highlighted during a recent briefing by the Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, to the Committee on Thursday, 5 March 2026.
During this briefing on the 3rd Quarter Crime Statistics for the 2025/26 financial year, covering the period between October and December 2025, the Committee was informed that 10 police officers were murdered in Gauteng in just three months.
Of these officers, 4 were killed while on duty and 6 while off duty.
The Committee views this as a deeply disturbing and unacceptable reality. The murder of a police officer is not only an attack on an individual, but a direct attack on the rule of law and the authority of the state.
Those who commit such heinous crimes must face the full might of the law and the Committee believes that perpetrators responsible for killing police officers should receive the harshest possible sentences.
Equally concerning is the growing trend of kidnappings in the Province. According to the crime statistics presented to the Committee, kidnapping cases increased by 2.1% during the period under review. Kidnappings, often linked to organised criminal networks and extortion schemes, have become a significant threat to communities, businesses and public officials.
The Committee therefore welcomes the establishment of a specialised task team dedicated to investigating kidnapping and related crimes. This targeted intervention will play a critical role in strengthening investigative capacity and disrupting organised criminal syndicates responsible for these offences.
The creation of these units signals a firm commitment by SAPS to confront violent crime head-on and to restore public confidence in law enforcement.
The Committee will continue to exercise its oversight responsibility to ensure that these specialised units are adequately resourced, properly coordinated and able to deliver measurable results in the fight against crime.
Ultimately, the safety of Gauteng residents must remain a national priority and the Committee stands firmly behind all initiatives that strengthen the ability of law enforcement to protect communities and uphold the rule of law.
ISSUED BY GPL’S MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY, HONOURABLE BANDILE MASUKU
