Murder and contact crimes are down nationwide, but gang murders, political killings and organised crime remain a challenge. The police also recorded political killings in the run-up to the upcoming local government elections.

This was revealed by acting minister of police Firoz Cachalia at the release of the first-quarter crime statistics, which were presented at the Government Communication and Information System head office in Pretoria on Friday (28/8).

He said the crime figures showed notable decreases in serious contact crimes such as murder, carjacking, house robbery, business robbery and cash-in-transit robbery. “These are the crimes that create fear in our communities. Many are committed by organised, heavily armed criminal groups that operate with planning and sophistication.”

“Other crimes are interpersonal, often committed by people known to their victims. They reflect deeper challenges in the social fabric and a breakdown of trust and relationships in communities.

“This reinforces our commitment to deploying resources where they are needed most and ensuring that operational decisions are increasingly driven by crime intelligence and evidence rather than assumptions. These statistics therefore tell us two important things simultaneously: progress is possible, but our work is far from complete.”

Murder decreased by 5.9% nationally, from 5,770 to 5,427 cases during the quarter. Contact crime fell by 2.3%, while robbery with aggravating circumstances declined by 14.7%. The trio of crimes also recorded notable decreases, with carjacking down by 18.2%, robbery at residential premises by 17.6%, robbery at non-residential premises by 11.8%, and truck hijacking by 21%.

Some crime categories reported increases. Attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and common assault recorded increases nationwide of 8.7%, 2.5%, and 2%. Only one incident of murder in a rural community was recorded.

Acting national police commissioner Lt Gen. Puleng Dimpane said the latest figures showed progress in some areas, while exposing crime categories and hotspots where the threat remained stubborn and unacceptable.

“We will therefore direct resources, personnel and operational deployments towards those areas and crime categories where the current picture demands a more decisive response,” said Dimpane.

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