Mchunu to release SA’s fourth quarterly crime stats

The Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, is expected to release the fourth quarterly crime stats on Friday.

Mchunu, together with the National Commissioner of Police, General Fannie Masemola, will present crime stats, reflecting on crimes that occurred during the fourth quarter of the previous financial year (1 January 2025 – 31 March 2025).

The latest figures are expected to detail the latest reported crimes and progress made while tackling serious and violent offences.

Third quarter stats

In the third quarter crime stats released in February, Mchunu revealed a decline across multiple crime categories.

The third quarter crime statistics covered the period from 1 October to 31 December 2024.

Mchunu highlighted the persistent crime challenges in four provinces, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Eastern Cape and Western Cape.

“They pose quite a challenge. They dominate criminality in the country. These provinces coincide with where our metros are and the density of the population, and therefore, they are our focus,” the police said.

ALSO READ: ‘Most-wanted’ CIT murder suspects dead in Boksburg shootout [VIDEO]

Decline

The latest crime data revealed a downward trend in several major crime categories, including a 9.8% decrease in murder, 3.3% reduction in rape and 3.2% drop in attempted sexual offences.

Mchunu said 6 953 murders were recorded during the reporting period, with firearms remaining the weapon of choice.

A total of 2 886 victims were fatally shot.

“The statistics indicate there has been an increase in cases of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

“Just yesterday, 16 049 firearms were destroyed in accordance with Section 149 of the Firearms Control Act.”

Murder

Gauteng recorded the highest percentage of murder cases at 25%, followed by KZN (21.4%), Eastern Cape (18.9%) and the Western Cape (17.4%).

Mchunu issued a strong warning to criminals involved in taxi violence and extortion-related murders, referencing recent arrests in the Eastern Cape and KZN.

The minister also acknowledged the backlog of outstanding dockets, saying that the issue had now been “projectised” and costed.

ALSO READ: Violence against children soars despite strong laws