Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia announced a decrease in murder and violent crimes in South Africa. While there is progress, crime levels remain unacceptably high, with gang violence and police officer killings still a concern.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia announced the latest crime statistics on February 20, 2026, revealing positive trends in the fight against violent crime in South Africa . The report, covering the period from October 1 to December 31, 2025, showed a continued decrease in murder and other violent crime s, marking a significant shift after years of increasing crime rates.
Minister Cachalia highlighted that the murder rate has been on a downward trend since the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year, with the latest quarter showing an 8.7% decrease, equating to 602 fewer lives lost. Over the past two years, the third-quarter murder figures have dropped by 17.6%, representing 1,359 fewer murders. Total contact crime, encompassing various violent crime categories, also saw a decline, decreasing by 6.7% or 12,682 fewer cases reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) compared to the same period in the previous year. Over the last two years, this quarter’s violent crime figures are down by 8.3%, reflecting 15,763 fewer cases. While these figures are encouraging, Minister Cachalia emphasized that crime levels remain unacceptably high, and significant disparities exist across different provinces.\Despite the overall positive trend, the minister acknowledged that the fight against crime is far from over and requires sustained effort. The report revealed variations in crime reduction across different provinces. While five provinces, namely KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, and North West, witnessed double-digit reductions in murder rates, the Western and Eastern Cape experienced smaller decreases, with slight increases in Limpopo and the Northern Cape. Minister Cachalia expressed specific concern regarding gang violence in the Eastern and Western Cape, which remains alarmingly high. Another major concern highlighted was the increase in the murder of police officers, with almost 80% of the 23 police officials who lost their lives being off-duty. Both the acting minister and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola vowed to intensify crime-fighting efforts, employing a comprehensive approach involving government and society to make South Africa safer. The police force is implementing targeted strategies to combat organized crime, increase police visibility, and address key crime drivers like illegal firearms and gang violence. The commitment to a multi-faceted strategy underscores the complexity of tackling crime and the need for a collaborative approach.\National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola provided further insights into the police’s ongoing efforts to combat crime, including a focus on tackling illegal firearms. A significant number of illegal firearms were destroyed, bringing the total number destroyed over the past seven years to 305,934. These firearms were linked to finalized criminal cases, voluntarily surrendered or recovered during amnesty periods and ongoing operations. The SAPS seizes a substantial number of illegal firearms weekly, with recent weeks yielding over 100 recovered firearms. Furthermore, Commissioner Masemola provided an overview of arrests made through Operation Shanela during the festive season, a crime-fighting initiative focusing on serious crimes. A total of 221,155 suspects were arrested for various offenses, including murder, rape, drug possession, assault, drunk driving, and house robberies. This included the arrest of over 550 murderers and over 480 rapists. The police commissioner underscored the ongoing priority of combating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The police force remains dedicated to its mission and the leadership expressed optimism that ongoing strategies would contribute to a safer future for all South Africans
Crime Statistics Murder Violent Crime Police South Africa
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