NATIONAL NEWS - The latest crime statistics have shown that the murder rate has dropped in South Africa, but there were still 63 people killed on average every day.
Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia released the long-awaited crime statistics for April 2025 to June 2025 and for July 2025 to September 2025.
The murder rate nationally between April and June 2025 shows a decrease of 6.9%, while murder stats between July and September show an 11.5% decrease.
Murder
Major General Thulare Sekhukhune shared the latest crime stats during a media briefing in Pretoria.
“We start with the murder. In the current quarter two, we have recorded 751 fewer murders compared to the previous period. In the previous period, we had 6 545; currently, we are at 5 794, and the percentage reduction is 11.5.
“We then recorded an increase in terms of the sexual offence, 22 counts more from the previously recorded 12 765 to the current 12 787, that is a 0.2% increase.
While the national crime picture is encouraging, murder rates sharply rose in several areas in the Western Cape, most notably in Mfuleni, Delft, Gugulethu and Kraaifontein.
Sekhukhune said arguments, misunderstandings, road rage and provocation were responsible for, by far, the highest number of murders in South Africa.
Other crimes
Attempted murder dropped by 2.7%.
“Then attempted murder. We have also recorded an increase of 194 counts more. That is from 7 061 to 7 255 a 2.7% increase. Then, assault, GBH, we have recorded a reduction of 753.
“Common assault, we have recorded an increase of 381, common robbery, we have recorded a reduction of 363 and robbery with aggravating circumstances, we have recorded the reduction of 3 689 counts less compared to the previous comparable period and the sum total of the contact trends, we have recorded the reduction of 4 999,” Sekhukhune said.
Contact crimes
The stats also showed that between July and September 2025, police stations in Cape Town and eThekwini recorded the highest number of contact crimes.
In Cape Town, four police stations ranked among the top five with the highest contact crimes.
While contact crime decreased by 3.1% between July and September, compared to the same period last year, police continue to record increases in sexual offences.
The Thohoyandou Police Station in Limpopo recorded the highest number of rape cases during the period, with police stations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Eastern Cape also being the top five.
Heightened police operations
Deputy National Commissioner Tebello Mosikili said police have entered a period of heightened police operations to ensure that people are and feel safe this festive season.
“The crime statistics as presented by Minister Cachalia and the Crime Registrar, Major General Sekhukhune, paint a picture of a relentless fight to keep the people of this country safe… We are not where we want to be in terms of the numbers.
“We would surely like to see further reduction of cases reported and detected as well as a lot more green graphs indicating a downward trend, but let’s all agree that we are going somewhere, and we are feeling the difference through our weekly integrated multidisciplinary operations commonly known as Operation Shanela, Mosikili said.
Madlanga Commission
Earlier, acting police minister Firoz Cachalia said there has been a significant decline in crime, stressing that crime and violence are “always unacceptable” and that the Madlanga commission is a reset the South African Police Service needed.
Cachalia said organised crime is a threat to national security and that criminals have infiltrated political parties, government and procurement processes.
Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
