Police Minister Senzo Mchunu Reports Decline in Crime in Q3 Statistics, Murder and Rape Cases Drop

• The South African Police Service has reported a decrease in crimes in the country in the third quarter quarter of the financial year
• Police Minister Senzo Mchunu also noted that there was a significant decrease in murders in all of the country's provinces
• Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape remain the problem provinces and will receive more focus going forward

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has spent a decade reporting on the South African political landscape, crime and social issues. He spent 10 years working for a community newspaper before transitioning to online

GAUTENG - The South African Police Service is slowly making headway in the fight against crime in the country in the third quarter of the financial year.

During the presentation of the crime stats for quarter three at the Ronnie Mamoepa Media Centre, Pretoria on 21 February, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu noted that there was a decrease when it came to many categories of crimes in the country.

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The crime stats focused on the period 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024 and were compared to the same period last financial year.

Here is what the previous quarter's statistics were

South Africa's has devloped a reputation for being a crime hotspot over the years, with many commenting on it. On 24 January 2025, the President of Botswana questioned the country's high crime rate.

Murders and rape cases decrease

During his presentattion of the stats, Mchunu noted that compared to the same period in the previous financial year, the country experienced a 9.8% decrease in murder cases. That equates to 757 fewer murders. There was also a 3.3% reduction in rape cases, with 408 less cases recorded.

Mchunu also noted that there was a 3.2% drop in attempted sexual offences and a 4.5% reduction in stock theft.

On 5 December 2024, it was reported that South Africa had been ranked as the country with the second-highest homicide rates in Africa.

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Four provinces remain problem areas

The minister noted that four provinces remained problem areas and dominated criminality in the third quarter. They are Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. The minister noted that these provinces were the most densely populated and would be receiving more focus going forward.

When it comes to murders, Gauteng accounted for 25.0% of the overall national murder figures, while KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) accounted for 21.4%. The Eastern Cape recorded 18.9% of the country’s murders while the Western Cape had 17.4%, but the overall figure decreased.

“For the third quarter, all provinces recorded a decrease in murder cases, marking a significant milestone in our national crime reduction efforts,” Mchunu said.

Gang-related murders also remain a concern, with the Western Cape recording the highest number of gang-related murders. 263 counts of gang-related murder in the third quarter alone.

“This is completely unacceptable and it must change. A large number of these murders occurred in Bishop Lavis, Mitchells Plain, Kleinvlei, Delft and Elsies River,” Mchunu noted.

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When it came to rape, while there was a decline nationally, there was an increase in cases in KZN.

The stations at Inanda and Umlazi were identified as the stations with the most cases in the past quarter in the province. Lusikisiki and Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and Thoyondo in Limpopo were also identified as stations with a high number of rape cases.

While there is a decline, it's important to note that crime remains a huge issue. Below are the official statistics for the third quarter.

Over 13,000 arrested in first week of January 2025

The crime decreased in the third quarter of the financial year, but police are not resting on their laurels.

Briefly News reported that SAPS arrested over 13,000 suspects during the first week of January 2025.

1,743 were wanted for serious and violent crimes, with Eastern Cape and KZN accounting for the most.

Source: Briefly News