40 percent increase in business robberies: Minister
September 22, 2009
The number of business robberies increased by 41.5 percent in 2008/09, with small businesses bearing the brunt, according to statistics released by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa on Tuesday.
"In the formal organised sector, robberies either declined, or where they did increase, this increase was generally only between three and four percent," he told journalists at Parliament.
"The area where the biggest increase occurred was in the small and informal business areas. This area would include your small dealers and spaza shops."
These businesses accounted for almost 70 percent of the total number of business robberies.
"It is important to recognise that the police need to do more to assist and protect these small businesses," Mthethwa said.
"However we are also aware that certain factors leave these businesses particularly vulnerable to such robberies.
"Issues like availability of cash, often linked to the difficulty these businesses face when it comes to access to banking services, and the unavailability of resources to implement crime prevention measures, contributes to making these businesses vulnerable."
Over the next few months police would engage both large and small businesses in an attempt to see how they could support each other in reducing small business robberies, including possible technological measures.
Already joint police and business initiatives were being piloted in central Johannesburg and Tembisa, and the lessons learnt there would have to be applied to other areas.
To address business robberies more generally, the police were seeking to firm up their partnership with business, and share more information.
"We are confident that as we move forward with this partnership which focuses on a government-directed and led strategy supported by business, we will be able to assist in making South Africa a safer place to do business" Mthethwa said. - Sapa
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