Here’s how much overall crime dropped in Gauteng, but kidnappings and attempted murder rose

2026-03-05 - 13:23

Gauteng recorded a significant drop in community-reported serious crime during the third quarter of the 2025-26 financial year, covering October to December 2025. The province recorded 100 781 serious crimes during the period, down from 109 034 the previous year, a decline of 8 253 counts or 7.6%. Despite the improvement, Gauteng continues to carry a disproportionate share of the country’s crime burden. The province accounted for 25.4% of all national contact crime figures and 26.1% of the 17 community-reported serious crime categories nationally. Gauteng provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni presented the statistics to the portfolio committee on community safety at the Fairway Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort on Thursday. He said the figures pointed to meaningful progress, telling the committee that “the statistics reflect encouraging downward trends and progress in our efforts to build safer communities”. Johannesburg remained the highest-contributing district across almost all crime categories, while Tshwane and Ekurhuleni followed. In the contact crime category, Johannesburg contributed 38% of the provincial total, with Ekurhuleni at 23.9% and Tshwane at 23.3%. ALSO READ: SANDF deployed to tackle crime in key provinces Murders decline, but Tshwane bucks the trend with sharp increase Contact crime, which includes murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, assault and robbery, fell by 9% in the third quarter, with 44 540 incidents recorded compared to 48 929 the previous year. Murder dropped by 11.8%, from 1 741 cases to 1 536. Johannesburg accounted for the largest share of murders at 37.9%, followed by Ekurhuleni at 31%. Sedibeng recorded the steepest district decline at 33.7%, while Tshwane moved in the opposite direction, recording a 21% increase, 37 more murders than the same period last year. At the station level, Orange Farm recorded the largest decrease at 33 counts lower, while Atteridgeville and Bekkersdal each recorded increases of 16 counts, the highest in the province. Jeppe, JHB Central, and Orange Farms remained among the province’s top murder stations, all also featuring on the national top 30 list. Data on the circumstances of murders showed that arguments, misunderstandings, road rage and provocation accounted for the highest number at 200 cases, followed by vigilantism and mob justice at 100, and robbery at 88. Firearms were the most frequently used instrument, accounting for 667 of the 1 277 sampled cases. Mthombeni expressed particular alarm at the killing of police officers. “The killing of our police officers on duty and off duty is a serious concern. We have lost 10 members in quarter three – six were killed while off-duty and four while on-duty,” he told the committee, adding firmly: “Enough is enough. The senseless killings of our police officers will not be tolerated.” The statistics corroborated his remarks, recording four officers killed on duty and six off duty within the quarter. Sexual offences decline, but courts deliver thousands of years in sentencing Sexual offences dropped by 8% province-wide, from 2 955 to 2 719 cases. Rape specifically declined by 7%, from 2 300 to 2 140 cases, while sexual assault fell more steeply at 12.8%, from 517 to 451 cases. Attempted sexual offences and contact sexual offences both recorded minor reductions of one count and nine counts, respectively. Sedibeng was the only district to record increases in rape, up 11.9% with 22 additional cases. Ekurhuleni recorded the sharpest rape decline at 15%, while Tshwane dropped 9.4%. At the station level, Alexandra recorded the highest increase in rape at 21.3%, while Roodepoort recorded the most significant decrease at 30 counts lower. The most common location for rape remained the home environment. Of 1 364 sampled cases, 968 occurred at the residence of either the perpetrator or the victim. The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit continued to produce results in court. Mthombeni noted that over the quarter, 1 144 cases were presented before court, resulting in 1 189 sexual offenders being sentenced to a combined 25 life terms and 577 years’ imprisonment. He added that the unit “conducted 118 targeted awareness campaigns” as part of its broader effort to raise awareness around gender-based violence and femicide. Robbery falls broadly, but carjacking remains stubbornly high Robbery with aggravating circumstances, which includes carjacking, residential robbery, business robbery, cash-in-transit and truck hijacking, fell by 6.3% overall, from 12 422 to 11 638 cases. Residential robbery declined by 10.3%, while robbery at non-residential premises fell by 15.7%. The trio crime category, combining carjacking, residential robbery and non-residential robbery, dropped 7.3%, from 5 904 to 5 471 cases. Carjacking, however, remained a stubborn challenge. The province recorded 2 544 carjackings, only marginally down from 2 567 the previous year, a decline of just 0.9%. The West Rand district bucked the trend with a 26.8% increase in carjacking, while Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg recorded slight decreases. Mamelodi East and Alexandra ranked first and second in the province for carjacking, both featuring in the national top five. Kempton Park recorded a 97.1% increase in carjacking, the sharpest rise at the station level. Truck hijacking fell by 10.4% to 223 incidents, though Tshwane and West Rand both recorded increases. Cash-in-transit robbery increased by five counts, from 8 to 13 for the quarter, with firearms used in 12 of the 13 incidents and explosives deployed in nine. Mthombeni told the committee that despite the challenges, collective efforts were bearing fruit, pointing to Operation Shanela 2 which achieved 39 072 total arrests during the quarter, including 157 for murder, 267 for robbery, and 6 829 for drug-related offences. Recoveries from the operation included 308 firearms, 213 hijacked or stolen vehicles, and counterfeit goods valued at approximately R100 million. Kidnapping rises as hijacking-linked abductions dominate Kidnapping increased by 2.1% province-wide, from 2 499 to 2 551 cases. Johannesburg recorded the largest increase at 6.1%, while West Rand rose 15.2%. Sophia Town station recorded the most dramatic spike, with 53 additional cases, the highest increase at any station in the province. Data on the circumstances driving kidnappings revealed that the vast majority were linked to vehicle hijackings and attempts, accounting for 1 352 of 2 503 sampled cases. Robbery-related kidnappings followed at 445, with ransom demands at 138 and human trafficking at 62. Mthombeni acknowledged the increase as a concern and described the multi-agency response deployed to address it. “We have integrated a multi-disciplinary approach with our National Anti-Kidnapping unit, Provincial Organised Crime, the E2 project for the eyes and ears linked to the security industry, and Business Against Crime South Africa.” He said that for the same period under review, authorities arrested 751 suspects across 405 cases. ALSO READ: Here’s how long the SANDF could be deployed to crime hotspots Attempted murder rises as police action detections surge While most violent crime categories declined, attempted murder moved in the wrong direction, rising 6.5%, from 1 820 to 1 939 cases. Every district except Sedibeng recorded an increase. Johannesburg remained the highest-contributing district at 832 cases. On a more encouraging note, crimes detected as a result of police action increased by 13.1%, from 18 931 to 21 402 cases, a figure the commissioner described as a positive upward trend. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs showed the most significant jump, rising 27.6% from 6 536 to 8 342 cases. Drug-related crime detections increased by 8.5%. Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, however, declined by 16.6%, from 1 124 to 937 cases – a figure that drew specific attention from the portfolio committee. Legislature presses for accountability on illegal firearms The portfolio committee on community safety, chaired by Dr Bandile Masuku, used the briefing to assert its oversight role over policing in the province, with particular focus on firearm-related violence. The committee noted that firearms remain a key driver of murders, aggravated robberies and gender-based violence in the province. Masuku said the Gauteng provincial legislature had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Gun Free South Africa to strengthen advocacy, community awareness and legislative oversight of gun-related crime. He said the committee would closely monitor the destruction of confiscated weapons to prevent them from re-entering criminal circulation. Furthermore, Masuku stated plainly that the committee would not be satisfied with statistics alone. “Statistics must lead to consequences. Plans must lead to implementation. Commitments must lead to safer communities,” he said, adding that “this Committee will not be passive recipients of reports.” Masuku called for collective action against gun violence, framing it not as aspirational but as necessary: “A gun-free Gauteng is not a slogan, it is a political, moral, and social imperative.” Property crime and other serious offences record broad declines Property-related crime fell 7.8%, from 19 800 to 18 258 cases. Residential burglary dropped 11%, non-residential burglary fell 16.1%, and stock theft recorded the sharpest decline at 36%, falling from 228 to 146 cases. Vehicle-related theft categories declined more modestly, with theft of motor vehicles down 2.7% and theft from vehicles down 1.6%. Other serious crime, which includes general theft, commercial crime and shoplifting, declined by 4.9% overall. General theft fell sharply by 13.1%, while commercial crime increased by 4.6%, and shoplifting rose slightly by 1.2%. Contact-related crime, which covers arson and malicious property damage, declined 9.4%. Malicious property damage fell from 7 325 to 6 625 cases, while arson rose marginally by six counts to 87 cases. At the district level, Tshwane recorded the best overall performance across the 17 community-reported crime categories, decreasing in 14 of the categories. Across all five Gauteng districts, zero categories were recorded as stabilised, and all movement was either up or down. Watch: Gauteng Police Commissioner provides crime stats NOW READ Crime stats nothing to celebrate: Three lives lost every hour despite murder drop