Kidnappings are just not going to stop.
It is a tricky crime that is going to require a lot more than earnest rhetoric, political posturing and wishful thinking to police, never mind combat completely.
While it was horrible when adults were being snatched in broad day light, kept chained in extreme conditions and tortured for fun, it now seems that children are becoming increasing targets.
Perhaps because they are seen as easier to grab, less trouble to keep and more likely to force their parents’ hand into paying exorbitant ransoms.
These criminals are heartless and ruthless and of course there is no concern whatsoever for the trauma that is being caused to that child.
All they see is the flickering dollar signs in their eyes and the very high likelihood that they will get away with it.
Friday morning saw eight-year-old Abirah Dekhta being abducted from her lift-club vehicle outside her house in Gatesville by two armed men.
It’s believed the same getaway car - an old-model Nissan double cab bakkie – was used in an attempted kidnapping in the same area a few days prior.
The way witnesses describe the abduction, means that these men had been watching this family for some time and knew exactly who they were looking for.
Even more distressing is that the little girl was home sick for a few days, during which time they must have been staking out the house and waiting.
Parents may have a vague idea what the Dekhta family must be going through; they must be distraught with worry and concern for innocent little Abirah’s safety and wellbeing.
I have said this before, but it bears repeating.
This is no longer just a localised crime that gets a passing interest from law enforcement.
The more this happens, the greater the economic impact, as business people wanting to invest here, visiting executives and even tourists start wondering about their own safety and the safety of their relatives.
Clearly the police are battling to fight this exploding and unpredictable crime wave.
Every avenue needs to be explored, including ways in which vulnerable communities can protect themselves.
One of the best ways to do that, is to be armed with reliable and credible information that can heighten awareness, without having to live in fear every day.
With the right information, potential targets can at least prepare to protect themselves and – in so doing – also help the police by reducing the number of incidents.
With allegations of syndicates, opportunistic copycat abductions, police indifference, hundreds of unsolved & unreported cases and evidence of (some) immigrant and police involvement, the list and the variables are growing by the week.
Meanwhile, foreign business people and communities like Gatesville are anxious and living in fear.
What is needed is an information-sharing gathering, where potential targets can learn as much as possible to use in their own defence.
This is why the upcoming Personal Security Conference is much-needed and even a little overdue.
At the conference, delegates can learn how to apply learnings from global trends locally, arm themselves with insights into situational awareness, counter-surveillance, threat analysis, hyper-vigilance and what action to take when they suspect something that they are being watched.
They can also find out more about the latest anti-kidnap tech solutions and applications.
The conference takes place on the 19th of November at the Lagoon Beach Hotel and the cost to attend is R5 000.
It might be a hefty fee to cover costs, but not as hefty as the ransoms that are being demanded and the trauma that is being inflicted.
Inquiries can be made to info@maxpo.co.za
breinou@gmail.com