DA calls on MEC Mazibuko to investigate low conviction rate for organised crime in Gauteng

9 November 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is deeply concerned that despite the high number of arrests by the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit in the past three years there is a low conviction rate.

This was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

According to MEC Mazibuko, in the 2017/18 financial year, 93 arrests were made with regards to taxi violence and of these arrests, 24 resulted in convictions and only one arrest resulted in a sentence of life imprisonment. In the 2018/19 financial year, 73 arrests were made with regards to taxi violence and of those arrests, 20 resulted in convictions and four received a sentence of life imprisonment. In the 2019/2020 financial year, 52 arrests for taxi violence were made with 14 resulting in convictions.

With regards to narcotics, 11 arrests were made in the 2017/18 financial year with four resulting in convictions. In the 2018/2019 financial year, 41 arrests were made for narcotics and of those arrests, only five resulted in convictions. In the 2019/2020 financial year, 22 arrests were made for narcotics and of these arrests, 12 resulted in convictions.

With regards to ATM bombings, 93 arrests were made in the 2017/18 financial year and of these arrests, 14 resulted in convictions with two arrests receiving sentences of life imprisonment. In the 2018/2019 financial year, 54 arrests were made for ATM bombings and of these arrests, 14 resulted in convictions with two arrests receiving sentences of life imprisonment. In the 2019/2020 financial year, 674 arrests were made for ATM bombings with eight resulting in convictions and three receiving sentences of life imprisonment.

With regards to truck hijackings, 116 arrests were made in the 2017/18 financial year and of these arrests, 36 resulted in convictions. In the 2018/2019 financial year, there were 136 arrests for truck hijackings and of these arrests, 42 resulted in convictions. In the 2019/2020 financial year, there were 87 arrests for truck hijackings with 19 resulting in convictions.

In total the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit has made the following arrests in the last three years since its establishment in 2017: 218 arrests for taxi violence with 63 resulting in convictions; 74 arrests for narcotics with 21 resulting in convictions; 821 arrests for ATM bombings with 43 resulting in convictions and 339 arrests for truck hijackings with 97 resulting in convictions.

It is very worrying that there is a low conviction rate which clearly indicates that its either the justice system that is failing to convict, or the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit is failing to properly investigate these cases.

The lack of adequate investigations and specialists in cases of organised crime has resulted in many cases being taken off the court roll due to a lack of sufficient evidence that could lead to prosecutions.

The DA calls on MEC Mazibuko to investigate why there is such a low conviction rate for organised crime cases to ensure that the perpetrators face the full might of the law.

Issued by Michael Shackleton, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety, 9 November 2020