Violent crime remains a concern on the North Coast, with several local police stations ranking among KwaZulu-Natal’s most affected precincts.

The latest crime statistics have revealed Umhlali, KwaDukuza and Tongaat police stations feature among the province’s top 30 stations in several serious crime categories.

The figures, covering April to June 2026, show KwaDukuza recorded a sharp increase in attempted murder, ranking fifth provincially with 42 cases, more than double the 20 recorded during the same period last year.

Umhlali ranked 28th for attempted murder with 16 cases, one more than last year. It also ranked 16th for murder with 16 cases, while KwaDukuza ranked ninth with 24 murders and Sundumbili 28th with 11.

Umhlali Community Police Forum chairperson Josha Daniel said some figures were encouraging but that more needed to be done to curb violent crime.

Umhlali recorded 70 cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) and 64 common assaults. Across the iLembe District, 516 assault GBH and 425 common assault cases were reported.

“These figures cannot be regarded simply as statistics. Assault and interpersonal violence have a direct impact on families, communities and the broader perception of safety,” said Daniel.

He said violence within domestic and interpersonal relationships remained particularly concerning, with alcohol-related harm and other social factors potentially contributing to conflict.

Commercial crime also remained prominent. Umhlali ranked 15th provincially with 110 cases, down from 135, while KwaDukuza ranked 16th with 107, up from 75.

The Courier previously reported that fraud had risen sharply in the Umhlali policing precinct, with more than 400 incidents recorded between April 2025 and March this year. Scams included cloned banking apps, online shopping fraud and criminals impersonating police officers.

Tongaat also featured prominently, ranking 19th for carjacking with nine cases and 20th for kidnapping with 13, down from 19 last year. It ranked 24th for contact crimes, with cases increasing from 231 to 291, and 16th for robbery with aggravating circumstances with 80 cases.

Elsewhere, KwaDukuza ranked fifth provincially for residential burglary, Maphumulo 29th for stock theft and Nsuze 24th for carjacking.

Daniel welcomed reductions in housebreaking, robbery and motor vehicle theft in Umhlali, crediting cooperation between police, the CPF, security companies, Community in Blue, neighbourhood watches and residents.

“The reduction of certain crime categories must not create complacency,” he said.

Urging residents to remain vigilant and report crime rather than take the law into their own hands, Daniel said: “Community safety is a shared responsibility.”