Cachalia’s latest crime stats: Murder, robbery and reported rape fall

Minister Cachalia revealed today that South Africa’s latest crime statistics show another decline in murder, with police also reporting fewer carjackings, residential robberies, business robberies and cash-in-transit robberies.

Stats:

• Murder: down 5.9%, with 343 fewer murders recorded year-on-year.
• Reported rape: down 0.3%, with 98 fewer cases recorded.
• Sexual offences: down 0.8%, with 98 fewer cases recorded.
• Robbery with aggravating circumstances: down 14.7%, from 31 475 to 26 839 cases.
• Carjacking: down 18.2%.
• Robbery at residential premises: down 17.6%.
• Robbery at non-residential premises: down 11.8%.
• Trio crimes: down 16.4%, with 2 156 fewer cases.
• Contact crime: down 2.3%, with 3 334 fewer cases.

The South African government released the figures on Friday, 28 August, covering the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year from April to June 2026. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia presented the statistics in Pretoria.

Acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia releases the first-quarter crime statistics for the 2026/27 financial year. #ServicedeliveryZA #CrimeStats https://t.co/WsiRFO2N24

South African Government (@GovernmentZA) August 28, 2026

Police say targeted operations are making an impact

Cachalia said several serious contact crimes had recorded notable decreases during the quarter. ‘We have recorded notable decreases in several of the country’s most serious contact crimes. Murder has declined, marking yet another consecutive quarter in which this crime has shown a downward trajectory,’ he said.

The minister also pointed to reductions in carjacking, residential robbery, business robbery and cash-in-transit robbery. He linked the trend to intelligence-led policing, targeted operations and stronger cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

Cachalia said crime remained concentrated in a relatively small number of police precincts. Police and government departments are now prioritising interventions in 140 high-crime precincts.

He also warned that the figures should be considered alongside crimes affecting women, children and other vulnerable people, with gender-based violence and femicide remaining a major concern.

Journalist and anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee welcomed the reductions while urging caution. In a post on X, he said the declines were encouraging, though ‘the numbers are still far too high’.

COMMENT:

It’s encouraging to see crime levels coming down in some categories, and those reductions should be acknowledged. They show that targeted policing and other interventions can make a difference.

However, the overall picture presented by the latest crime statistics… https://t.co/5IDksgRQ6S

Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) August 28, 2026

Abramjee called for sustained reductions across serious crime categories, saying success should ultimately be measured by whether people feel safer in their homes, workplaces, streets and communities.