Gauteng records highest contact crimes in 2025 third quarter

Police crime scene tape wrapped around a tree.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) says Gauteng recorded the highest number of contact crimes in the country in the third quarter of 2025.

This is contained in the third-quarter crime statistics released in Pretoria earlier today.

The statistics are for the period 1^st October to 31^st December 2025.

SAPS Crime Registrar, Major-General Thulare Sekhukhune, says a general decrease has been recorded.

“The province with the highest contribution in terms of the contact crimes is Gauteng, which contributes 25.5%. The second-highest contributor is the Western Cape with 18%. The third-highest is KwaZulu-Natal with 17.5%, and the fourth-highest is Eastern Cape with 11%. Across all three months that make up the quarter, we have recorded decreases.”

Meanwhile, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia says the murder rate decreased by 8.7% between the quarter last year compared to 2024.

However, he says despite this, crime levels in the country remain unacceptably high.

Crime Stats | SA murder rate declines for second year running:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaAnFYMACvE