Acting police minister Professor Firoz Cachalia has expressed concern over a sharp increase in the number of police officials murdered, with nearly 80% of the 23 deaths occurring while officers were off duty.
Speaking at the release of the third quarterly crime statistics in Pretoria on Friday, Cachalia said he would ask South African Police Service management to investigate the trend to prevent further deaths.
“Firearms remain the single largest weapon driving murder, robbery and organised crime in our country,” he said.
The minister announced additional measures to tackle gun violence, focusing on removing illegal firearms and preventing legal weapons from falling into criminal hands.
Despite the increase in police murders, the statistics showed violent crime continued its downward trajectory. Murder decreased by 8,7% during the quarter ending 31 December 2025, representing 602 fewer lives lost compared to the same period the previous year.
Over two years, murders during the third quarter period dropped by 17,6% – 1 359 fewer killings.
“After more than a decade of annual increases, murder, our most accurate crime statistic, started decreasing in the first quarter of 2023-24,” Cachalia said.
Total violent crime fell by 6,7% or 12 682 fewer cases reported to SAPS compared to the same quarter last year. Over two years, violent crime for this quarter declined by 8,3% or 15 763 fewer cases.
“This trend may well be attributable to enhanced policing operations,” the minister said.
However, he cautioned that statistical patterns did not necessarily translate into a felt sense of security for individuals, families and communities.
Five provinces recorded double-digit reductions in murder: KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West. Smaller decreases were recorded in the Western and Eastern Cape, while Limpopo and Northern Cape saw slight increases.
Of the 30 highest murder precincts, only 15 recorded decreases.
“The killings relating to gang violence in the Eastern and Western Cape in particular remain worrisomely high,” Cachalia said.
The minister also addressed gender-based violence and femicide, which has been declared a national disaster, saying government needed to intensify efforts to combat it.
“Much inter-personal, domestic and gender-based violence takes place between people who live with each other or know each other. We are taking steps to strengthen the policing approach to addressing GBVF and other forms of violence,” he said.
SAPS allocated an additional 999 members to Detective Services over the past year.
Cachalia said tackling crime also required implementing the Integrated Crime and Violence Strategy, which demands coordination between departments including Health, Education and Social Development to address factors driving crime and violence.
While most violent crime categories, including murder, rape, robbery and property-related crimes like theft and burglary continued to decrease, they remained at unacceptably high levels, the minister said.
