Are kidnappings becoming criminals’ new go-to act?

Over the past several weeks, South Africa has experienced various incidents where people were abducted in broad daylight. According to the 2019/2020 Crime Stats, it revealed that the bulk of carjackings and kidnappings occur in the Gauteng province. But some experts are of the view that while there is value to the crime stats, it doesn’t paint an accurate picture of the reality of the crime.

For a crime that requires that much logistics, why are criminals opting to kidnap?

Guest: Dr Simon Howell, Researcher – Centre for Criminology at UCT