As many South Africans trek to favourite destinations and rural homes across the breadth of the nation, crime experts have warned that the festive season is also peak season for criminals who also patrol the streets seeking easy targets.
With skyrocketing crime, particularly break-ins, an evidently unoccupied home would naturally draw the interest of criminal syndicates who drive and walk around with tools for clinical burglary.
Chilling figures released by Statistics SA show that housebreaking is the most common crime experienced by households in South Africa.
A total of 1.1 million households experienced housebreaking incidences in the 2022/23 period.
An estimated 1.6 million incidences of housebreaking occurred in the same period, representing 5.7% of all households in the country.
About 51% of households that experienced housebreaking reported some or all incidences to the police. The percentage of households that reported the incidents to the police decreased from 59.2% in 2021/22 to 51.4% in 2022/23.
The Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS)released by Statistician General Risenga Maluleke in August shows that around 2.3 million households experienced housebreaking/burglary during the past five years.
The experience of housebreaking has increased by six percent from the previous year.
The Victim of Crime modules in GPSJS consist of seven types of household crimes: housebreaking, home robbery, theft of motor vehicles, murder, assault, sexual offences, and deliberate damaging of dwellings.
Around 152,000 households experienced “deliberate damaging of dwellings” during the past five years.
However, the experience of deliberate damage to dwellings has decreased by 16% from the previous reporting period, according to StatsSA.
Speaking to IOL, one of South Africa’s leading anti-crime activists and Crime Watch presenter on eNCA, Yusuf Abramjee said homeowners must activate security measures before heading out for the festive season.
“Crime usually goes up ahead of and during the festive season, and this year is not different. House invasions, burglaries, robberies, etc are all on the increase,” Abramjee said.
“Remember, criminals do not go on holiday, and they try their luck at every turn to rob people of their hard-earned money. One has to be vigilant, stay alert, and stay safe,” he said.
“As far as burglaries are concerned, the golden rule is - always ensure that you take safety precautions to prevent such attacks.”
He said that with the benefit of technology, homeowners can ensure that they have lights that automatically switch on and off.
“Make sure there is no mail piling up in the post box. If you have dogs, they serve as a good deterrent. If you have an alarm, make sure it is working and activated. If you have an electric fence, ensure that it is working and in good condition,” said Abramjee.
“If you have beams, also ensure that they are functioning. Ensure that all windows are closed when you go away. Also, ensure that you have burglar bars in place. All these things make it difficult for criminals to enter your premises, and in the event of entering, it will also make it difficult for them to get away with valuables.”
He said, based on trends from previous years, each resident must be proactive in the war against runaway crime.
“Inform your neighbours if you are going away, and stay safe,” he added.
Forensic and crime expert, Calvin Rafadi told IOL that at times, the criminals steal keys and patiently wait for the festive season.
“Any resident who has lost their household keys in the past should not only rely on spare keys but also change the household locks and get new sets of keys. This is because most criminals who perhaps could have stolen your keys normally wait till most of the people have travelled in your family home, only to come back and loot your home’s valuable items,” he said.
Rafadi concurred with Abramjee that mail piling in the post box is a give-away sign that the family is away.
“Before travelling, residents should also arrange with their banks and select the option of receiving important mail, such as bank statements, by email. Avoid having documents posted to you, as criminals can study your post boxes piling up with envelopes. This also includes hard copy newspaper subscribers,” he said.
“Do not take out your dustbin for collection and leave it out there when you are going to travel. Criminals can observe if the bins are eventually attended and can see that they have not been taken into the yard for days.”
Rafadi also advised that it is good for homeowners to alert community patrollers in their areas to keep an eye on their properties.
“I suggest you let them know and observe your home. Criminals sometimes disguise themselves as if they are from a delivery or maintenance company, and they can even come wearing some uniforms.”
Households that experienced housebreaking increased by 10% in the 2022/23 period. The highest proportion (8.5%) of households that experienced housebreaking were in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Gauteng. Free State Province had the lowest proportion (4.1% of households) that experienced housebreaking.
Statistics show that incidences of housebreaking peaked in June, July, and December.
IOL