Gauteng murder rate drops by 11.8% in third quarter
Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni has announced a decrease in the province's murder rate between October and December last year.
The province still accounted for 26% of the national crime statistics.
The crime statistics were recorded between October and December last year.
Mthombeni and high-ranking police officials presented the third-quarter statistics to the Gauteng legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety in Randburg on Thursday.
According to the police, murders dropped by 11.8%, which represents a decline of 205 people murdered compared to the same period in 2024.
In Gauteng alone, 1,536 people were murdered between October and December.
Most of the people were murdered in Johannesburg, with over 580 murders, while Sedibeng recorded the lowest, with 128 cases.
"The top three causative factors for murder are arguments, misunderstandings, road rage and provocation, vigilantism and robbery,” said Mthombeni.
In Gauteng alone 1536 people were murdered between October and December 2025, which is a decrease of 205 from 2024 same period.
— Jacaranda FM Newswatch (@JacaNewswatch) March 5, 2026
582 murdered in Johannesburg
476 murdered in Ekurhuleni
213 murdered in Tshwane
137 murdered in West Rand
128 murdered in Sedibeng
Green = decrease pic.twitter.com/jD45fSNiEQ
SEXUAL OFFENCES
The province recorded a decrease of 8% in sexual offences, with rape decreasing by 7% and sexual assault by 12,8%.
For the quarter under review, 2,140 rape cases were recorded, and sexual assault declined to 451 reported cases.
Other serious violent crimes
The province saw a reduction of 6,3% in other violent crimes, including carjacking, robbery at residential and business premises, robbery of cash-in-transit, bank robbery, and truck hijacking.
Kidnappings increased by 2,1%.
Mthombeni said they have also made strides in the fight against illegal mining and undocumented foreign nationals.
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