WeeklySA_AdminTRENDS: Third-quarter crime statistics show continued declines in murder and violent crime nationwide, yet gang violence, police killings and organised crime remain urgent threats…
By WSAM Reporter
South Africa recorded 602 fewer murders between October 1 and December 31 2025 compared to the same period last year, marking an 8.7% decrease in the country’s most serious crime category.
Releasing the third-quarter crime statistics in Pretoria on Friday, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia described the figures as grounds for “cautious optimism,” while warning that crime levels remain “unacceptably high” and unevenly distributed across provinces.
Cachalia noted that after more than a decade of annual increases, murder rates began declining in the first quarter of 2023/24 — a trend that has continued.Over the past two years, third-quarter murders have dropped by 17.6%, translating into 1,359 fewer lives lost compared to the same period two years ago.
Total contact crime — which includes murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, assault and robbery — declined by 6.7% this quarter, representing 12,682 fewer reported cases than in the same quarter last year. Over two years, contact crime for the October–December period has fallen by 8.3%, or 15,763 fewer cases.
“These are statistical patterns,” Cachalia cautioned. “They do not necessarily translate into a felt sense of security by individuals and communities.”
Gang hotspots
Five provinces — KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West — recorded double-digit reductions in murder.
However, declines in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape were far smaller, while Limpopo and the Northern Cape recorded slight increases. Of the country’s 30 highest murder precincts, only 15 showed decreases.
Gang-related killings in parts of the Eastern and Western Cape remain a particular concern.
“Crime varies substantially across the country,” Cachalia said. “While most communities have recorded decreases, too many have seen increases.”
Police targeted
The Minister expressed alarm at a spike in the killing of police officials. Twenty-three officers were murdered during the quarter, nearly 80% of them while off duty.
“This is an issue that SAPS management must urgently examine,” he said, indicating that preventative measures would be reviewed.
Firearms continue to drive violent crime, remaining the leading weapon in murders, robberies and organised criminal activity. Cachalia reiterated government’s intention to intensify efforts to remove illegal firearms and tighten controls to prevent legal weapons from falling into criminal hands.
Gender-based violence
Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV+F), classified as a national disaster, remains a core focus.
Cachalia acknowledged that much interpersonal and domestic violence occurs between people who know each other or live together, complicating enforcement efforts.
In response, SAPS has allocated an additional 999 officers to detective services over the past year to strengthen investigative capacity.
However, he emphasised that policing alone cannot solve the crisis. Implementation of the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy (ICVPS) requires coordinated action by departments such as health, education and social development to address the social drivers of violence.
A MinMec meeting with provincial heads of Community Safety and several Premiers is scheduled for March 6 to align national, provincial and local interventions in high-crime precincts.
Community Patrollers
To bolster local safety, government plans to establish a national community patroller programme in all provinces.
Under the proposal, community members would receive training and stipends to assist with safety visibility at transport hubs, schools, walkways and other vulnerable areas. They would not perform policing functions but act as deterrents and first responders by contacting authorities when necessary.
Cachalia warned, however, against vigilantism.
“Where communities take the law into their own hands, resulting in murders and assaults, this creates further work for an already overstretched police service,” he said.
Organised Crime: “Most Immediate Threat”
Echoing remarks by Cyril Ramaphosa during the recent State of the Nation Address, Cachalia identified organised crime as the most immediate threat to democracy and economic stability.
He noted that much organised crime — including extortion of small businesses, corruption and large-scale fraud — does not appear in standard crime statistics because it goes unreported.
Yet, its consequences are deeply felt: stolen public funds undermine service delivery in health, education and infrastructure; copper cable theft contributes to electricity and water outages; and syndicates inflate business costs through theft and fraud. Following revelations from the Madlanga Commission and parliamentary inquiries, a dedicated task team has been established to investigate alleged criminality involving senior SAPS and Ekurhuleni officials.
Two-pronged strategy
Internal integrity reform: Vetting and lifestyle audits for senior police officials to root out corruption and rebuild institutional credibility.
Specialised capacity building: Strengthening investigative units capable of dismantling complex criminal networks and seizing illicit assets.
In areas plagued by gang violence and illegal mining, security operations have been reinforced through anti-gang units, specialised police divisions and support from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The SANDF deployment, he stressed, is time-bound and operates under SAPS command, focusing on area stabilisation, cordon-and-search operations in high-risk zones, and protection of critical infrastructure.
Road Ahead
Despite measurable improvements in several categories, Cachalia conceded that South Africa’s crime burden remains severe. “Crime continues to devastate lives and communities,” he said. “We have a long journey to travel”.
