Political parties have sharply diverged over the latest third-quarter crime statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS), with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng insisting the province remains the country’s murder capital despite a national decline in killings.
Briefing the media on Friday, Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia reported that nationally, murders fell by 8.7% and overall violent crime dropped by 6.7% between October 1 and December 31.
“Most violent crime categories, including murder, rape and robbery, as well as most property-related crimes such as theft and burglary, continued to decrease, but remain at unacceptably high levels,” he said.
Yet in Gauteng, the picture is more complex. The province recorded 1 536 murders over the three months, roughly 17 people killed every day, accounting for 24.2% of all murders nationally.
Contact crimes fell by 6.7%, sexual offences dropped by 2.8%, and common robbery decreased by 7.0%, but serious crimes such as attempted murder rose by 2.5% to 1 939 cases.
Robberies of cash-in-transit vehicles increased to 13 incidents, and commercial crime climbed 2% to 13 181 reported cases.
The province also saw increases in arson, shoplifting, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and sexual offences detected through police action.
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety Crezane Bosch described the statistics as a wake-up call.
“Gauteng residents are not safe, and Premier Panyaza Lesufi's crime-fighting strategies are not working. Under his leadership, Gauteng has deteriorated into a holiday camp for criminals who operate freely while the government struggles to keep pace.”
Bosch called for an urgent overhaul of the province’s crime prevention approach, including better-equipped police stations, filling staffing vacancies, and enhancing police training.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) also criticised the GNU, saying marginal percentage drops offer little comfort to communities living under daily threat.
“These figures confirm that South Africa remains under siege due to the ongoing failures of the so-called Government of National Unity. The overall crime situation remains alarmingly high and continues to devastate communities across the country,” the party said.
It argued that crime is driven by deep structural problems, including unemployment, poverty, inequality, substance abuse, and failing community safety systems, and called for a national strategy that links decisive policing with bold social and economic interventions.
Rape and kidnapping remain particularly worrying. Gauteng accounted for 18.7% of all rape cases nationally, the second highest in the country. Reported rapes rose from 2 062 in the second quarter to 2 300 in the third quarter, an 11.5% increase. The province also remains the highest contributor to national kidnapping cases, highlighting ongoing threats to residents’ safety.
The ANC, meanwhile, welcomed the downward trends in murder, robbery, and hijackings as evidence that targeted policing interventions are beginning to work.
“Whilst the progress is notable, we remain mindful that behind every percentage point lies a human story,” it said, emphasising the continued fight against gender-based violence, organised crime, and drug syndicates.
The Star
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