Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Kempton Park branch calls for urgent action following 58.3% increase in kidnappings

Soundbite: Yvonne Gerber (English)

AfriForum’s Kempton Park branch is seeking answers regarding the alarming increase in kidnappings recorded in the area. Among other things, the organisation wants to know how safety resources are being utilized when visibility, patrols, and operational capacity remain inadequate.

According to the latest crime statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS), 76 kidnapping cases were reported in the Kempton Park policing area between April and June 2026, compared to 48 during the same period in 2025 – an increase of 58.3% in just one year. During this period, Kempton Park recorded the highest number of kidnappings of any police sector in Gauteng.

“An increase of more than 50% in kidnappings within a single year should serve as a wake-up call for everyone responsible for community safety,” says Yvonne Gerber, AfriForum’s district coordinator for the East Rand. “Residents cannot be expected to simply accept rising crime as the new normal.”

The rise in crime also raises questions about whether the resources made available for community safety are indeed being translated into effective crime prevention and visible policing at the grassroots level.

“Funds budgeted for community safety must ultimately be visible in operational patrol vehicles, visible policing, properly trained personnel, and an effective response to crime,” says Gerber.

AfriForum’s Kempton Park branch is taking practical steps itself

Meanwhile, AfriForum’s Kempton Park branch has begun drafting a practical action plan in response to growing safety concerns within the community. The action plan focuses, among other things, on strengthening the branch’s existing safety activities, improving cooperation with other safety structures, and increasing visibility in the community.

The security situation – including the high number of kidnappings in Kempton Park and the recent discovery of the bodies of 11 women in the broader Ekurhuleni area – was discussed during a security meeting. A total of 32 AfriForum neighbourhood watch patrollers from the Kempton Park area participated in the meeting, during which concrete steps were identified to strengthen community safety.

As part of this approach, the Kempton Park branch also participated in the provincial Operation Shanela in the Kempton Park area on 19 September. The operation brought together various law enforcement and security structures as part of ongoing efforts to combat crime and promote safety within local communities.

“By being present at grassroots level and collaborating with other safety structures, we can gain a better understanding of the challenges our communities face. It is important that community organisations and law enforcement agencies work together constructively, wherever possible, to promote safety,” says Ernest Hoddinot, neighborhood watch leader of AfriForum’s Kempton Park branch.

The Kempton Park branch will also step up its own patrol activities and participate in AfriForum’s national mass patrol on 9 and 10 October. The aim is to increase visibility in the community, identify safety concerns at grassroots level, and strengthen community involvement in crime prevention.

The branch’s participation in Operation Shanela and the development of a local action plan form part of the Kempton Park branch’s commitment not merely to wait for government action, but to take practical steps within the framework of the law and, where possible, collaborate with existing safety structures.

AfriForum calls for stronger cooperation.

AfriForum’s Kempton Park branch further calls on the SAPS to collaborate more closely with established community safety organisations – including AfriForum – to increase visibility and improve cooperation within communities.

“Community organisations cannot replace the SAPS, and policing remains the responsibility of the government. However, communities are willing to be part of the solution. AfriForum is ready to collaborate with the SAPS and other legitimate security structures to increase visibility, share information, and help create safer communities,” concludes Gerber.

AfriForum’s Kempton Park branch believes that communities do not have to choose between waiting and taking action themselves. Through lawful, coordinated community involvement and effective policing, the government and communities can work together to prevent crime before more residents become victims.