By Doreen Mokgolo
- Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal made up nearly 40% of all sexual offence cases from January to March 2025.
- Fewer rape cases were reported in five provinces, but the total number still went up across the country.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says the government is winning the fight against crime, but there’s still a long way to go.
Speaking in Tshwane on Friday, Mchunu shared the latest crime numbers for the start of this year, from 1 January to 31 March 2025.
Most crimes dropped compared to the same period last year. However, rape and other sexual crimes increased. This includes sexual assault and sexual contact crimes.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal were the biggest contributors, with 19.1% and 19.9% of all sexual offence cases in the country, respectively.
“There is progress, but we have not reached our goals,” said Mchunu.
The number of murder cases also went down. Police recorded 5,727 murders in the three months, 809 fewer than last year. Gauteng, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape had the highest murder rates. The Northern Cape was the only province where murder cases dropped.
Twenty-two police officers were killed—six while on duty and 16 while off duty. Ten of those were in Gauteng.
Mchunu also hit back at claims that white farmers are being targeted in what some people, including United States president Donald Trump, have called a “white genocide”.
He said police recorded six farm murders between January and March. Two of the victims were farm owners, one was a farm worker who lived on the farm, two were employees, and one was a manager.
“All of them except one were African,” he said.
Mchunu spoke about an old case from 2020 in KwaZulu-Natal, where a couple was killed on Hanover Farm. “Those responsible were arrested and are now in prison,” he said.
To fight crime better, Mchunu said they are opening more forensic labs, starting in KwaZulu-Natal, and using better technology to catch criminals faster.
“We want to improve how we collect evidence and help detectives do their jobs better,” he said.
Pictured above: Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Image source: GCIS
