South Africa’s latest crime statistics for the second quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year show a 5.1% decline in serious crimes, according to figures released by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Story Summary:
- South Africa’s crime statistics for Q2 of 2024/2025 show a 5.1% drop in serious crimes, with murder and rape declining.
- Categories like attempted murder and commercial crime saw increases, spotlighting areas needing urgent attention.
- Efforts to combat GBV, organised crime, and cross-provincial offences remain central to law enforcement’s strategy.
South Africa crime statistics: Serious crimes are down 5.1%
Covering the period from July to September 2024, the data highlights progress in addressing violent and property-related crimes, though some areas remain a concern.
The 17 community-reported crime categories monitored by SAPS indicate an overall reduction in incidents.
Contact crimes, which include violent offences like murder and assault, decreased by 3.0%.
Property-related crimes showed a sharper drop of 9.9%, while other serious crimes were down by 3.4%.
Notable improvements include:
- Murder: Down by 5.8%.
- Sexual offences: Declined by 2.5%.
- Rape: Reduced by 3.1%.
- Robbery with aggravating circumstances: Dropped by 8.8%.
- Robbery at residential premises: Fell by 1.3%.
Conversely, increases were reported in a few categories:
- Attempted murder: Up by 2.2%.
- Assault GBH (grievous bodily harm): Increased by 1.0%.
- Commercial crime: Rose significantly by 18.5%.
Despite these gains, Minister Mchunu acknowledged the persistence of high crime rates and the need to intensify efforts across law enforcement, community engagement, and crime prevention.
Other key takeaways from the latest crime statistics
Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a national concern.
While rape statistics have slightly improved, GBV remains a priority area requiring dedicated resources, thorough investigations, and collaborative approaches.
Organised crime, including cash-in-transit heists and illegal mining, also demands continued focus.
Recent successes include arrests related to illegal mining in Stilfontein and coordinated efforts with the Cash-In-Transit Association of South Africa (CITASA).
The Free State and Northern Cape have reported notable gains in tackling cross-provincial crimes like stock theft and illicit diamond trading.
In the Western Cape, safer festive season operations have resulted in significant drug and firearm seizures.
Minister Mchunu also emphasised advancements in police intelligence and forensics, which have played a critical role in combatting organized and violent crimes.
