Northern Cape only province where murders increased

THE NORTHERN Cape has emerged as the sole province in South Africa to experience an increase in its murder rate during the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year (January to March 2025). While the national murder rate declined by 12.4%, the Northern Cape's rate rose from 6.8 to 8.3 per 100,000 people - a 23.1% increase, totalling 112 murders in the quarter.

In contrast, the four high-crime provinces - the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng - reported decreases in murder rates, contributing to the overall national decline. The Northern Cape's rise stands out against this backdrop of improvement in other regions.

Despite accounting for only 2% of the national murder statistics, this uptick is significant. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu emphasised that the increase cannot be ignored and will be addressed by the South African Police Service (SAPS), which is implementing focused interventions. 

“We are encouraged that all but one province recorded decreases in murder incidents. The Northern Cape, despite contributing only 2% to the national murder statistics, recorded an increase, which cannot be ignored and will be addressed with targeted actions,” said Mchunu. 

Arguments, misunderstandings, road rage and provocation were overwhelmingly the leading causes of murder in the Northern Cape, accounting for nearly all identifiable incidents.

Most murders in the Province occurred in public spaces (50 cases) and private residences (41 cases), highlighting a pattern of violence arising in familiar or accessible environments.

Knives were used in 54 murder cases, making them the most frequently used weapon, and significantly outnumbering firearms, which were used in only 4 cases.

A Closer Look at Some of the Stats

CONTACT CRIMES

While most of South Africa saw a decline in violent crime in the fourth quarter, the Northern Cape bucked the national trend with a 1.4% increase in contact crimes.

Contact crimes, also referred to as crimes against the person, include serious offences such as murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), common assault, and robbery.

Between January and March 2025, a total of 5,250 contact crimes were reported in the province, up from 5,178 cases during the same period in 2024. That’s 72 additional incidents of violence against individuals.

In contrast, the national figures for contact crimes dropped by 5.8%, highlighting a concerning divergence in the Northern Cape’s public safety trajectory.

ATTEMPTED MURDER

The Northern Cape recorded 528 attempted murder cases between January and March 2025, a slight decrease from 536 cases during the same period in 2024. Despite the marginal drop of 1.5%, the province remains one of the few where violent crimes showed little improvement.

Notably, the Galeshewe and Kimberley police stations were among the Northern Cape’s leading contributors to attempted murder cases during the first quarter of 2025. Galeshewe stood out with 53 reported cases, placing it among the Top 10 police stations nationally for attempted murder. The Kimberley station also reported a notable increase, with 35 cases - placing it in the Top 30 nationally.

SEXUAL OFFENCES

In the Northern Cape, sexual offences rose slightly in the fourth quarter, with 413 cases reported, up from 409 in the same period in 2024 - a 1% increase. This mirrors the national trend, where sexual offences remained largely stable, increasing by only 6 cases (from 13,446 to 13,452).

Notably, rape cases in the province rose from 297 to 302 (a 1.7% rise), contributing to the overall uptick in sexual offences. This aligns with national concerns, as highlighted by Minister Mchunu, who emphasised the need for intensified efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide.

The overwhelming majority of rape cases in the Northern Cap occurred at private residences, with 161 out of 302 reported rapes (approximately 53%) taking place at the home of either the victim or the perpetrator.

This was followed by public spaces (such as streets, parks, or abandoned areas), which accounted for 50 cases. 

Two rape incidents were recorded at schools.

Low reporting rates, social stigma, and fear of retribution mean that the true extent of sexual violence may be significantly underrepresented.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The data on selected domestic violence-related crimes reveals the scope and nature of interpersonal violence in the Northern Cape. Though the province reports lower raw numbers compared to more populous regions, the impact is significant within the context of its smaller population and geographic spread.

Assault - both common (323 cases) and grievous bodily harm (225 cases) - is by far the most frequent form of domestic violence reported.

Attempted murder (49 cases) is alarmingly high for the province and speaks to the lethal potential of domestic conflict.

Sexual violence within domestic settings is also present, with 23 rapes and 5 sexual assaults recorded - pointing to intimate partner violence and abuse in trusted relationships.145 cases of malicious damage to property and 2 cases of arson reflect that domestic disputes often escalate into destruction of personal or shared belongings, further destabilising families.

Crimes like theft, robbery, and burglary occurring in domestic contexts suggest financial abuse, retaliation, or control-based violence.

PROPERTY-RELATED CRIME

Between January and March 2025, the Northern Cape recorded 2,467 property-related crimes, down from 2,637 cases in the same period of 2024. This reflects a decline of 170 cases, or -6.4%.

While not as sharp a drop as seen in some other provinces, the 6.4% decline still marks a positive shift in the Northern Cape's efforts to combat crimes like burglary at homes and businesses, motor vehicle theft, theft from vehicles, and stock theft.

However, with over 2,400 incidents recorded in just three months, property-related crime remains a serious issue affecting households, farms, and businesses across the province.

COMMERCIAL CRIME

The Northern Cape recorded a total of 608 commercial crime cases between January and March 2025, up from 539 cases in the same period in 2024. This represents an increase of 69 cases, or a 12.8% rise - the highest percentage increase among all provinces during this quarter.

Commercial crime includes offences such as fraud, forgery, corruption, embezzlement, and cybercrime targeting businesses or individuals.

The rise suggests that financially motivated crimes - often non-violent but highly disruptive - are becoming more prevalent in the province. The increase could point to a growing trend of financial scams, possibly online or via mobile platforms.

Despite being one of the least populous provinces, the Northern Cape’s 12.8% surge is notable.

CRIME DETECTED DUE TO POLICE ACTION

The Northern Cape recorded 903 crimes detected as a result of police action during the fourth quarter - an increase from 854 cases in the same period in 2024. This reflects a 5.7% rise, amounting to 49 more incidents.

This refers to offences that are not typically reported by the public, but are proactively uncovered by police efforts. These include illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, drug-related crimes, driving under the influence, and sex work-related offences.

The increase suggests improved proactive policing, where law enforcement is actively identifying criminal activity through raids, patrols, or targeted operations.

OVERALL CRIME TRENDS IN NORTHERN CAPE

The Northern Cape recorded a slight decline in serious community-reported crimes during the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year. A total of 11,329 cases were reported between January and March, down from 11,403 during the same period in 2024. This reflects a 0.6% decrease, or 74 fewer cases year-on-year.

This includes 17 serious crime categories reported directly by members of the public and includes:

• Contact crimes (e.g. murder, attempted murder, assault, sexual offences)
• Contact-related crimes (e.g. arson, malicious damage to property)
• Property-related crimes (e.g. burglary, theft, stock theft)
• Other serious crimes (e.g. commercial crime, shoplifting)

The 0.6% decrease is marginal, indicating that serious crime levels in the province are largely stable rather than improving significantly.

Importantly, the overall figure masks specific trends, such as a rise in contact crimes like murder and rape. This slight dip occurred despite rises in categories like murder, sexual offences, and commercial crime, which means declines in property-related crimes and other categories helped offset the rise in violent crimes.

The Northern Cape accounted for 3% of all serious crimes reported in South Africa, which is consistent with its population size.