The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has welcomed the establishment of two specialised units in Gauteng aimed at investigating political killings and kidnapping.

Committee chairperson Bandile Masuku said this targeted intervention will play a critical role in strengthening investigative capacity and disrupting organised criminal syndicates responsible for these offences.

The first specialised unit will focus on the investigation of political assassinations and politically motivated killings of government officials.

Masuku explained that this unit would mirror the model of the Political Killings Task Team, which had previously demonstrated the importance of dedicated investigative capacity in dealing with targeted and organised violence.

The second specialised unit will focus on crimes related to kidnappings, extortion and criminal activities targeting infrastructure projects.

Masuku pointed out that these crimes had increasingly become sophisticated and coordinated, posing a serious threat to public safety, economic stability and service delivery in the province.

He said the creation of these units signalled a firm commitment by the South African Police Service to confront violent crime head-on and to restore public confidence in law enforcement.

He highlighted that his committee strongly supported the establishment of these specialised units, particularly considering the alarming crime statistics highlighted during a briefing last week by the Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni.

Masuku pointed out that during this briefing on the third quarter crime statistics for the 2025/26 financial year, covering the period between October and December 2025, the committee was informed that 10 police officers were murdered in Gauteng in just three months.

“Of these officers, 4 were killed while on duty and 6 while off duty…the murder of a police officer is not only an attack on an individual, but a direct attack on the rule of law and the authority of the State,” he explained.

He called for harsh punishment for the perpetrators responsible.

He noted that equally concerning was the growing trend of kidnappings in the province.

“According to the crime statistics presented to the committee, kidnapping cases increased by 2.1% during the period under review. Kidnappings, often linked to organised criminal networks and extortion schemes, have become a significant threat to communities, businesses and public officials,” he said.