Gauteng recorded an overall decrease in crime across 17 community-reported categories, although Gauteng accounts for 26% of such crimes reported nationally, Provincial Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni says. Presenting the province’s fourth-quarter crime statistics for the 2025/26 financial year, Mthombeni said Gauteng recorded a 15% decrease in murders and a 9.9% decline in rape cases. Contact crimes, including assault and robbery, declined by 5.9%, representing 2 433 fewer cases than during the same period last year.
Mthombeni said murder cases were commonly linked to arguments, misunderstandings, road rage incidents, provocation, vigilantism and robbery. “The 17 community-reported serious crimes have decreased by 5 066 cases, translating to a 5.2% decline compared to the same period last year,” he said. Despite the decrease, Gauteng accounted for 26% of all community-reported serious crimes recorded across the country’s nine provinces.
Mthombeni explained that mob justice incidents contributed to 74 murders, followed by robberies with 68 and retaliation or revenge attacks with 47. Most of the 664 murders occurred in public spaces, while 215 took place at residences. Police said many of the cases were linked to vehicle hijackings.
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Gauteng remained the country’s kidnapping hotspot, averaging roughly 27 incidents a day. This is one thorny area, honourable chairperson, members and honourable premier. “While most kidnappings in the province are attributed to hijacking, our integrated multidisciplinary intervention with our national anti-kidnapping, provincial organised crime, the E2 project, we have, together, arrested 616 suspects for the period January to March 2026.”
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