SAPS Reveal That 189 Phones Are Stolen Daily, Netizens Believe the Number Is Higher

• According to the South African Police, 189 phones are reported stolen daily in Mzansi
• The police revealed that Gauteng has the highest number of phone theft cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal
• South Africans believe that the number is higher as there are many more who do not report their phones stolen

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered police investigations and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

The South African Police Service revealed that 189 cell phones are stolen daily in the country. South Africans believe that the number could be higher.

189 Phones stolen in the country daily

According to eNCA, 412,998 phones were reported stolen between 2017 and 2023. Most of these robberies happen in Gauteng, and the second hotspot in the country is KwaZulu-Natal. The police also revealed that the causes of phone theft include snatching the phone while the owner is using it in a public space, violent muggings, hijackings and pickpocketing in crowded places.

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SA denies the number

Netizens on Facebook dispute the number.

Thembinkosi Taba said:

“A week back, I picked up an iPhone Pro Max at Virgin Active in Boksbug, and I handed it over to the receptionist because I know the pain of losing a phone.”

T Bone Medium Raw wrote:

“It’s more than that because other people don’t bother themselves going to the Police and opening a case.”

John Nkhumise observed:

“This is a small number. Do you know how big the population of South Africa is?”

Joel Mphoka added:

“The number can be ten times or more.”

Mushwana Hlamulo Liver remarked:

“Come to Pretoria Sunnyside, and you’ll see that number in one hour.”

Others pointed out why the number is this high.

Nana Ash asked:

“Between our law enforcement and criminals, who is working hard in our country?”

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Makoma Nkomi Moyaba said:

“Robots aren’t working when there’s loadshedding, so are those cameras working during loadshedding? Because some crimes are happening during blackouts.”

Matured democracy:

“This is because we need to elect our government to deal with all criminal activities. Currently, we are living by the grace of God. We’re all vulnerable.”

Lesego Mafulako-Tomas asked:

“What are you doing about it? Got robbed last Friday and they took mine.”

Sol Phenduka shocked by recycled iPhones

In another article, Briefly News reported that Podcast and Chill co-presenter Sol Phenduka was shocked by the number of recycled iPhones.

This was after a tweet about a recovered stolen iPhone was posted. Phenduka was stunned that iPhones could be unlocked, erased and resold.

South Africans shared their views on why they believe iPhones can be accessed after theft

Source: Briefly News