Murder rate worsens in Gauteng with 1,787 people killed in three months, 55 of them children

A total of 1,787 people were murdered in Gauteng between October and December 2023, registering an increase of 3.8% compared with the same period the year before. 

This was revealed in the quarterly crime statistics submitted by Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni in the provincial legislature on Tuesday. 

Mthombeni said 214 of the people killed in the reporting quarter were women and 55 were children. 

The Jeppe police station recorded the most murders with 66 people killed, an increase of 57%. Next was Ivory Park with an increase of 6.5% to 49 cases and Johannesburg Central with 44 cases, though this was a decline of 13.7%. 

A total of 892 people were killed by firearms while 188 were killed by knives. Another 71 were killed by the use of sharp instruments while 35 were killed by physical means such as fists. A total of 29 were killed using a blunt object while 24 died using a rock or brick.

Attempted murder also increased in the province by 9.4% to 1,777 cases. Assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm showed a hike of 4.3% to 11,766 cases. 

Robbery with aggravating circumstances rose by 716 cases to 14,445. Robbery at non-residential premises declined by 3.8% to 1,601, but robbery at residential premises increased by 4.6% to 2,229.

Carjacking surged by 14.4% to 3,010 cases. 

Rape decreased by 1.2% to 2,441 cases.

The top three contributors to the murder rate were listed as arguments, misunderstandings, provocation and road rage, followed by robberies (house, business and street). There were 84 cases of vigilantism, Mthombeni said. 

Police also updated the legislature on efforts to fight illegal mining in the province. 

In the report to the committee, police said during 10,758 operations conducted between April and December 2023, they confiscated more than R12m in cash, gold, gold dust, diamonds and platinum. 

Police also confiscated 533 commercial explosives, 921 gas bottles, 3,650 phendukas (refining machines) and 6,844 still port crushers. 

In the report presented by Brig David Bender, provincial head of organisational development, police estimated there are more than 600 abandoned mines in Gauteng. 

Bender said illegal mining is undertaken by foreign nationals from Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe who live in the West Rand, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and the Sedibeng district which is made up of Heidelberg and De Deur. 

Police have deployed specialised units to fight illegal mining, including the national intervention unit, special task force, tactical response teams, public order policing and crime intelligence, he said. 

Of the 20 cases investigated by the Hawks, 46 arrests were made. 

Bender said: “In addition, a special clandestine operation under the name Project Gillet was conducted by the Hawks in Khutsong and Carletonville areas, resulting in four separate asset forfeiture orders in excess of R20m, inclusive of high value vehicles together with property.”

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