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South Africa recorded 343 fewer murders in the first three months of the 2026/27 financial year, with the murder rate declining 5.9%.The latest police crime statistics, released on Friday, also show significant declines in carjacking, house robbery, business robbery and truck hijacking. However, attempted murder and assault increased, underlining the mixed picture facing police.Overall contact crime declined by 3,334 cases, or 2.3%, from 145,446 in April to June 2025 to 142,112 over the same period this year. The decline in murder follows a downward trend in recent quarters, acting police minister Firoz Cachalia said, though he warned that the figures did not justify complacency.“Every murder remains one too many. Every victim deserves justice,” Cachalia said.SAPS measures crime statistics according to the government’s financial year, which runs from April 1 to March 31, rather than the calendar year. Its four quarters therefore run from April to June, July to September, October to December and January to March.In the previous quarter, covering January to March 2026, 5,181 murders were recorded. The latest figures, covering April to June, recorded 5,427 — an increase of 246 cases, or 4.7%, quarter on quarter, even though murders were down 5.9% compared with the same period last year.The largest numerical decline in murders was recorded in Gauteng, where killings fell by 153 from 1,429 to 1,276. The Western Cape recorded 77 fewer murders, declining from 1,148 to 1,071.The Eastern Cape had 49 fewer murders, while the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo also recorded declines. Murder cases, however, increased by 14 in Mpumalanga and 18 in North West.While murders declined, attempted murder cases rose sharply. Police recorded 6,958 attempted murders during the quarter, up 557, or 8.7%, from 6,401 in the same period last year.Cases of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm increased by 930, or 2.5%, from 37,659 to 38,589, while common assault increased by 830 cases, or 2%, from 41,661 to 42,491.The sharpest improvements were recorded in aggravated robbery. Carjacking declined by 846 cases, or 18.2%, from 4,657 to 3,811. House robberies fell by 944 cases, or 17.6%, from 5,360 to 4,416, while business robberies declined by 366 cases, or 11.8%, from 3,099 to 2,733.Combined Trio crimes — carjacking, house robbery and business robbery — fell by 2,156 cases, or 16.4%, from 13,116 to 10,960.Truck hijackings also declined significantly, falling by 87 cases, or 21%, from 414 to 327. Cash-in-transit robberies fell marginally, from 35 to 33 incidents.Sexual offences declined by just 98 cases, or 0.8%, from 11,630 to 11,532. Rape fell by 32 cases, or 0.3%, from 9,233 to 9,201.The figures come as police grapple with the concentration of violent crime in a relatively small number of police precincts. Cachalia said the national police ministry and provincial MECs responsible for community safety had agreed to prioritise interventions at 140 high-crime police stations, focusing on strengthening crime intelligence and detective services and intensifying operations against organised crime, extortion, illegal mining and gang violence.The continued focus on crime hotspots reflects a broader pattern in South Africa, where serious violent crime is heavily concentrated in particular provinces, cities and police precincts rather than being evenly distributed across the country. The statistics also highlight continuing concerns about crime affecting women and children. Of the 5,427 murders during the quarter, 723 involved verified women and child victims, while women and children accounted for 1,377 of the 6,958 attempted murder victims and 8,814 of the 9,201 rape victims.Cachalia said the declines in murder and aggravated robbery suggested that intelligence-led policing and targeted operations were having an effect, but acknowledged that serious challenges remained. The increase in attempted murder and assault, however, shows that the decline in murder has not translated into an across-the-board reduction in violent crime.Business Day
