The fourth quarter crime statistics for Kraaifontein present a familiar dilemma. Progress in some categories, regression in others, and a community that continues to bear the weight of both in this suburb that ranks fifth in the province for most community-reported serious crimes.
Encouraging drops in murder and attempted murder are offset by sharp rises in common robbery and assault, according to figures released on Friday covering the most recent reporting for the period between January and March this year.
Murder fell by 12 counts to 33 in the latest quarter, and attempted murder also declined by four counts, recording 14 cases. However, not all the trends are moving in the right direction. Common robbery surged by 40%, rising 16 counts to reach 56, while common assault climbed by 8,4%, adding 23 cases to close the period at 296.
Assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm also edged upward by five counts, or 4%, to 131. Robbery with aggravating circumstances bucked the trend, falling sharply by 32 counts – a decline of 15,8% – to reach 170.
Overall, contact crimes against the person totalled 754, a marginal decrease of five counts, or 0,7%, compared with the previous period.
Sexual offences
Rape figures declined by three counts to 42, while sexual assault dropped by one to eight cases. Attempted sexual offences, however, rose by three counts to reach three cases, up from zero in the previous period.
The data reveals a worrying uptick in so-called trio crimes of carjacking, residential robbery, and non-residential robbery, which collectively rose by 15 counts to 43. Carjacking increased by six counts to 14, robbery at residential premises climbed by seven counts to 23, and robbery at non-residential premises rose by two counts to six.
Property crime
Home burglaries remained the dominant property crime, though the figure shows a small decline, dropping from 107 to 101 incidents during the three-month period. Business burglaries, however, moved in the opposite direction, rising from 10 to 14 cases.
Vehicle-related crime offered some relief. Car theft fell from 29 to 25 cases, while theft out of motor vehicles held steady at 65 incidents. Commercial crime remained unchanged at 162 cases, a category that includes online scams, reflecting the persistent threat posed by cybercrime and fraud to residents and businesses alike.
Crimes detected through police action reflected a notable drop, with drug-related crime falling from 695 to 591 cases. Kraaifontein ranks ninth on the provincial list for drug-related crimes. Drunk driving incidents, however, edged upward from 56 to 62, a reminder that road safety enforcement remains an ongoing priority for law enforcement in the area. Furthermore, police recorded 21 cases involving the confiscation of illegal firearms and ammunition.
Crime statistics, but where are the convictions?
The release of the crime statistics comes just days after the City’s safety and security directorate wrote to the police to highlight the ongoing failures of the criminal justice system, especially when it comes to securing convictions for illegal and prohibited firearms confiscated by City law enforcement.
“We can no longer afford the ‘catch and release’ approach of national government when our communities deserve, and demand, that we catch and convict,” says JP Smith, Cape Town Mayco member for safety and security.
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The Safety and Security Directorate tracked 1 763 cases linked to illegal firearms and ammunition between January 2023 and March this year. Of these cases, 1 377 were firearm-related, with 1 438 firearms confiscated in some cases involved more than one firearm.
To date, there have been only 62 firearm-related convictions – or 4,5%. The 36 additional convictions secured were linked to firearm arrests, but the convictions were for other offences, including possession of drugs and ammunition, according to Smith.
South Africa has an illegal and prohibited firearm problem. The majority of our murders are committed with firearms.
“City enforcement is doing an incredible job responding daily to shooting incidents, conducting hotspot patrols, and working in support of the police in gang-affected areas, but are increasingly arresting the same suspects repeatedly because the system is not functional,” he says.
“Close to a year ago, the City of Cape Town raised this exact matter with the police and the NPA, and it is problematic to see that very little has been done to course-correct on this issue. South Africa has an illegal and prohibited firearm problem. The majority of our murders are committed with firearms.
”If you solve this crisis, you will significantly decrease the murders and shooting incidents within our city. Of the cases tracked, 341 were provisionally withdrawn, and in 238 cases there was a decision not to prosecute, meaning City enforcement, the police, and now the SANDF are merely recycling street gangs.
The directorate has also recently written to the police to raise the alarm about firearms confiscated in April 2026 that still haven’t been moved from the SAPS 13 stores to the forensic science laboratory for analysis.
“Together, we can end firearm violence by ensuring the conviction rate increases, speeding up ballistics, embracing the City as a viable partner in investigations, embracing City technology investments and City information systems, making better use of the Poca Act in cooperation with local government to act against high-flying gangsters, fixing inefficient sub-committees by implementing a joint war room, and increasing intelligence sharing. These are achievable goals that will make Cape Town safer for all our residents,” says Smith.
