South Africa's crime statistics reveal alarming trends in violence and GBV

The South African government’s delayed release of the 2025/26 first and second-quarter crime statistics has triggered a wave of public outcry, with opposition parties and civil society organisations condemning the worsening state of violent crime—particularly gender-based violence (GBV)—and the apparent breakdown of the national police service.

ActionSA Member of Parliament Dereleen James voiced deep concern over the alarming figures, highlighting the daily toll of violence across the country.

“Even schools are not being spared. Almost 200 rapes were recorded on school grounds during this period,” she said, underscoring the vulnerability of children and the failure of protective systems.

James pointed to the staggering rate of homicides, stating that “63 South Africans were murdered every day,” a grim statistic that reflects the growing danger faced by communities.

In the Western Cape, gang-related violence continues to escalate. Murders linked to gang activity rose from 282 in the April–June quarter to 293 between July and September, a trend that James said illustrates the persistent threat to community safety.

“In Cape Town, the picture becomes even more troubling. Four of the top five murder stations in the country fall within the city, making clear that it remains the epicentre of a deeper failure to end the violence terrorising forgotten communities,” she added.

James criticized the government’s delay in releasing the crime data, arguing it reflects a broader failure of leadership and governance.

“The delayed release inspired little confidence that the government can effectively address the violent crime destroying the country,” she said. “With both the Ad Hoc Committee and the Madlanga Commission confirming the extent of criminal capture, it is increasingly clear that South Africa has been captured by rampant lawlessness.”

In KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the Democratic Alliance’s provincial spokesperson on Community Safety, Riona Gokool MPL, emphasized the province’s disproportionate contribution to the national violent crime rate. Despite a marginal decline in murder numbers, KZN still accounts for over 20% of all murders in the country.

“We call for the immediate implementation of a Provincial Joint Crime Response Plan to ensure coordinated action between SAPS, Metro Police, and KZN’s Department of Community Safety,” Gokool urged.

She pointed to the persistent prominence of police stations in Inanda, Umlazi, and Chatsworth among the country’s most crime-ridden, describing it as “an ongoing crisis in policing and accountability.”

“This plan must identify key hotspots and establish joint command structures,” she added, stressing the need for a unified and strategic approach.

Freedom Front Plus MP and police spokesperson Wouter Wessels echoed these concerns, warning that systemic corruption within law enforcement is enabling criminal networks to flourish.

“Crime can only thrive in a country where high-ranking officials tasked with protecting the public are involved in major crime syndicates,” Wessels stated.

While the July–September statistics showed a slight decline compared to the previous quarter, Wessels cautioned against complacency.

"The July-to-September crime statistics, while showing a decrease compared to the April-to-June quarter, should be interpreted with cautious optimism,” he said.

He warned that public trust in the police is likely to deteriorate further as revelations from the Madlanga Commission and the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee come to light.

Wessels also highlighted operational challenges within the police service, including severe budget constraints, staff shortages, and declining morale.

“Annual police reports expose systemic failures: forensic services face a 33% DNA backlog hindering prosecutions; the detective service achieves only 43% of targets, having lost over 8,400 experienced personnel since 2016,” he noted.

Concerns over the reliability of the crime data itself have also surfaced. DefenceWeb reported that the Auditor-General found up to 30% of police data to be “unreliable,” prompting calls for a comprehensive audit of the statistics.

Civil rights group Action Society condemned the state of policing, asserting that the latest figures confirm a fundamental breakdown in law enforcement.“

"The latest crime stats show that the fundamentals of policing in the country are not working,” the organisation said.

They emphasized the urgent need for trained officers, effective systems, and operational forensic services. The delay in releasing the statistics, they argued, has further eroded public trust.

“Across both quarters, the pattern remains unchanged: violent crime remains exceptionally high, deterrence remains low, and there is still no evidence of improvement in the state’s ability to respond to crimes against women and children,” the organisation stated.

Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez called for immediate and meaningful reform.

“The statistics reflect a country that urgently needs functional, practical, and properly resourced policing and justice structures,” she said.

She added that the timing of the release—during the annual 16 Days of Activism campaign—should compel the government to act decisively.

“Releasing these figures during the annual 16 Days of Activism should force the government to adopt real operational reforms,” Du Preez said.

The organisation concluded that without accountability at the highest levels, declarations of a national disaster will remain hollow.

“The national disaster declaration will remain meaningless unless SAPS leadership and the minister of Police are held directly accountable for measurable progress,” Action Society stated.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE