Murder cases drop by 11.5% in the second quarter of 2025
Mapaballo Borotho
- South Africa recorded a significant 11.5% drop in murder cases in the second quarter of 2025, with 751 fewer murders reported.
- Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia says the decline offers hope but warned that some crime categories, such as sexual offences and commercial crimes, remain high.
- Overall contact crimes also decreased by 2,362 cases during the reporting period.
Acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, has assured South Africans that he totally understands their worry and fear about the state of crime in South Africa.
“I know what it feels like to be mugged in the streets, to be raided in one’s home, and my heart goes out to those whose lives have been shattered when their loved ones are killed, injured, and traumatised as a result of violent crime,” said Cachalia.
He was briefing the media on Friday, just a few minutes before releasing the 2025 second-quarter crime statistics.
Cachalia also emphasised that a majority of people turn to crime where there’s a lack of opportunity, excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs.
“However, there are those who turn to crime out of greed and lust for power, set up criminal structures to steal funds that are needed to provide for our people.”
Cachalia confirmed that the country has seen a significant reduction in serious and violent crimes.
“Murder has started to decrease significantly, particularly in the last two years, and that is often a very good indicator of crime trends.
This gives me hope because we have also seen a double-digit decrease in most forms of robbery; however, some categories remain stubbornly high, like sexual offences and commercial crimes.”
Crime Registrar’s Head, Thulare Sekhukhune, said the country recorded 751 fewer murders in the second quarter of 2025.
“In the previous period, we had 6545, and currently we are 5794, and the percentage reduction is 11.5. We have also recorded an increase of 194 cases of attempted murder; this is a 2.7% increase. With assault to cause grievous bodily harm we have recorded a reduction of 743, common assault, we have recorded an increase of 331, said Thulare.”
In total, contact crimes saw a decrease of 2362. These crimes include robbery as well.
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