South Africa to receive April–June 2026 SAPS crime figures in Pretoria

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is expected to present the quarterly crime statistics for April to June 2026 at midday on Friday in Pretoria, the report said.

Who will present the figures

According to IOL, the statistics are due to be presented by Acting Police Minister Prof Firoz Cachalia, Deputy Ministers of Police Cassel Mathale and Dr. Polly Boshielo, and Acting National Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane.

Why the quarterly release matters

Cachalia has said people are entitled to know how many crimes are reported to the SAPS regularly. He was quoted as saying:

“We share this information so that communities, businesses, and public service departments will have a sense of what is happening in their neighbourhoods in terms of crime and related risks. Knowledge is power and enables better and more effective collective action to improve public safety.”

Context from the previous quarter

According to IOL, when Cachalia presented statistics for January 1 to March 31, 2026, he said South Africa recorded a 9.5% decrease in murders compared with the same quarter the previous year, falling from 5,727 to 5,181.

IOL reported Cachalia described the reduction in murders as “the country’s most reliable crime indicator.” The previous quarter’s figures, IOL said, formed part of a broader reduction in serious violent crime.

The previous quarter statistics also showed that contact crimes decreased by 4.6%, with 7,405 fewer cases reported than in the same quarter the year before, IOL reported.

Provincial trends and government response

IOL reports that Gauteng, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal recorded notable decreases in murders in the previous quarter, but those four provinces still accounted for more than 80% of all murders nationally.

IOL also reported Cachalia said the government would continue implementing its police reform agenda, strengthen efforts against organised crime and expand violence-prevention initiatives aimed at addressing the social factors driving violent crime.

What to expect next

The April–June 2026 figures will cover the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year and are expected to be presented at midday on Friday in Pretoria, according to IOL.