The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has urgently warned the public to exercise extreme caution when meeting up with strangers through online dating and social media platforms.
In a statement on Friday, the Portfolio Committee said this follows alarming reports of kidnappings, robberies, and targeted attacks in the Maboneng precinct. This as the committee conducted an unannounced oversight visit to the Jeppe Police Station on Thursday.
During the visit, Station Management briefed the Committee on a disturbing trend where victims from across Gauteng are lured to Maboneng through hookup apps, only to be kidnapped, robbed, or assaulted.
“The Committee expressed concern that these crimes follow a similar pattern to the Olorato Mongale murder case, where victims are deceived by strangers they meet in malls or online before being attacked.
“Of particular concern is the recent arrest of a gang operating in the Maboneng area that specifically targeted members of the LGBTQIA+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual]community. The Committee condemns these crimes in the strongest terms and calls for heightened vigilance from all citizens,” the statement read.
The Committee welcomed the recent progress in the Olorato Mongale brutal murder case where one of the suspects was killed in a shootout with police in KwaZulu Natal.
“While the Committee commends the police for these breakthroughs…justice must be served for Olorato and all victims of these heinous crimes,” the Committee said.
The Committee also called on citizens to be vigilant as meeting strangers from online platforms carries serious risks.
“For their safety, the Committee advises the public to avoid meeting strangers from apps in isolated or unfamiliar areas, inform trusted contacts about meetup plans, verify identities through video calls before meeting, and immediately report suspicious activity to the SAPS [South African Police Service],” the Committee said.
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