Dedicated units to address targeted violence and organised crime
The Portfolio Committee on Community Safety in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature has thrown its weight behind the creation of two new specialised police units in the province, describing the move as a critical step in the fight against escalating violent crime.
The SA Police Service revealed the formation of the two units last week. The first will be tasked with probing political assassinations and the targeted killing of government officials, drawing on the proven approach of the Political Killings Task Team. The second unit will zero in on kidnappings, extortion rackets and criminal activity aimed at disrupting infrastructure projects across Gauteng.
According to the committee, these categories of crime have grown increasingly sophisticated and now represent a grave danger to public safety, economic stability and the delivery of essential services 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 that briefing, which covered the third quarter crime statistics for the 2025/26 financial year — spanning October to December 2025 — committee members were told that ten police officers had been murdered in Gauteng within just three months. Of those, at least four were killed while on duty and six while off duty.
Calls for harsh sentences and stronger action on kidnappings
The committee condemned the killing of officers in the strongest possible terms, describing the situation as deeply troubling and wholly unacceptable. It stressed that the murder of a law enforcement member constitutes a direct assault on the rule of law and state authority, and called for perpetrators to face the most severe sentences available under the law.
"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 alarming, provincial figures show that kidnapping incidents rose by approximately 2.1% during the October to December 2025 period. The committee noted that kidnappings are frequently tied to organised criminal networks and extortion schemes, making them a growing menace to communities, businesses and public officials alike. It said the establishment of a dedicated task team focusing on kidnapping and related offences would be instrumental in bolstering investigative capabilities and dismantling the criminal syndicates behind such crimes.
The committee pledged to maintain its oversight role, ensuring the new units receive sufficient resources and proper coordination to produce tangible outcomes. It affirmed that the safety of Gauteng's residents must remain a national priority and voiced its firm support for every initiative designed to strengthen law enforcement's capacity to safeguard communities and uphold the rule of law.
"Both units are operational and are designed to function as intelligence-driven, specialised, team-orientated, multidisciplinary and prosecution-led structures."
The Police Ministry confirmed both units are already active, underscoring the government's resolve to confront violent crime decisively and rebuild public trust in the country's law enforcement agencies.
Gauteng, as South Africa's economic hub, faces rising political killings, kidnappings, and extortion targeting infrastructure projects. These crimes threaten investor confidence, service delivery, and the safety of public servants and ordinary residents. The new units' success will depend on sustained resourcing, inter-agency coordination, and prosecutorial follow-through. If effective, they could help restore public trust in law enforcement and stabilise conditions for economic activity in the province, though measurable outcomes may take time to materialise.
