Murders drop but crime levels still too high, says police minister Cachalia

South Africa recorded 602 fewer murders between October and December 2025 compared with the same period the previous year, an 8.7% decrease.

Minister of police Firoz Cachalia released the third-quarter crime statistics in Pretoria on Friday.

“Over the past two years, murders during this period have dropped by 17.6%, meaning 1,359 fewer people lost their lives,” Cachalia said.

Total contact crimes which include murder, rape and robbery decreased by 6.7% compared with the same quarter last year, with 12,682 fewer cases reported to the SA Police Service (SAPS).

Cachalia said property crimes such as theft and burglary had also decreased. He warned, however, that though there had been a decrease in murders and other crimes, crime levels were still far too high.

“While most communities have recorded decreases in violent and property crimes, there are still too many that have recorded increases.”

KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State and North West recorded a big drop in murder cases, while smaller decreases were seen in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

Meanwhile, Limpopo and the Northern Cape saw slight increases.

Cachalia added that gang violence in parts of the Eastern and Western Cape remained a serious concern, expressing alarm over the killing of police officers.

“Twenty-three officers were murdered during the quarter and nearly 80% of them were off duty. This is so concerning,” he said.

Cachalia said the government would increase efforts to remove illegal guns and stop legal firearms from ending up in the wrong hands, as firearms were still the main weapons used in these murders.

The SAPS has added 999 members to its detective services over the past year to strengthen investigations, especially as gender-based violence and femicide remain a major concern.

Cachalia said the government would also work more closely with provinces and municipalities to fight crime in high-risk areas.

He announced plans to introduce a national community patroller programme.

“Community members will be trained and paid a stipend to help improve safety in areas such as schools and transport hubs. They will not act as police officers but will help prevent crime and alert authorities.

“Crime remains unacceptably high and continues to affect many families and communities, but we will not give up,” Cachalia said.

These are the statistics for the main categories of crime for the reporting period from October 1 2025 to December 31 2025, with statistics from October 1 2024 to December 31 2024 in brackets.

Murder 6,351 (6,953)

Sexual offences 14,547 (14,973)

Attempted murder 7,858 (7,666)

Assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm 50,253 (54,117)

Common assault 53,539 (56,486)

Common robbery 11,574 (12,447)

Robbery with aggravating circumstances 31,088 (35,030)

Total contact crime: 175,210 (187,892)

Sexual offences breakdown:

Rape 11,430 (11,803)

Sexual assault 2,162 (2,188)

Attempted sexual offences 755 (748)