By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia has released the much-anticipated quarterly crime statistics, from April 2025 to June 2025 and from July 2025 to September 2025.
The stats provide an extensive overview of criminal activities recorded during the first and second quarters of the current financial year.
Community-reported crimes decreased by 18,594 cases compared to the same period last year, indicating progress in addressing certain criminal activities.
Contact crimes, which include murder, assault, and sexual offences, decreased by 4,999. In contrast, property-related crimes, such as residential and non-residential burglaries, theft of motor vehicles, and stock theft, decreased by 8,455 cases.
Despite these improvements, sexual offences saw a slight increase of 22 cases. Within this category, attempted and contact sexual offences rose, although rape and sexual assault incidents recorded modest declines.
Cachalia said they have seen ongoing and significant reductions in serious and violent crimes.
“Overall, during the past two quarters, and following on from last year’s statistics, we have seen a significant decline in most crime categories. Importantly, we are seeing ongoing and significant reductions in serious violent crime.
“Murder has started to decrease significantly. We have also seen double-digit reductions in most forms of aggravated robbery. However, there are categories that remain stubbornly high. Sexual Offences and GBV, as mentioned, remain of critical concern.
“Commercial crime, we continue to record increases here, a trend spanning five years. Much of this is now taking place online. With the support of the Joint Initiative against Crime and Corruption, as part of the partnership with the private sector, we will be strengthening our digital capacity to fight this.
“While we can take heart from the downward trends in violent crime, the overall levels remain unacceptably high. So, we cannot rest, “Cachalia added.
Cachalia said that the Madlanga commission of Inquiry could lead to the reset the police service needs.
“We are taking steps to reset. I am positive that both the Madlanga Commission and the ad-hoc Parliamentary Inquiry are going to help us establish a public record, a consensus in out society about what needs to be done going forward, in what I have called a reset and I think that that should be the focus.”
“I know that’s hard sometimes, as we are so alarmed by shameful behaviour that is on public display. But this is a necessary process, “Cachalia said.