Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has announced a 3.1% decrease in the national murder rate during the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, with 6,467 murders recorded between January and March 2025, down from the same period last year.
Mchunu noted that eight of the nine provinces recorded reductions in murder, with the Northern Cape being the only province to report an increase, although it contributes just 2% to the national total.
“While we have not yet reached our ultimate goal of a crime-free South Africa, these figures confirm we are indeed making significant progress,” said Mchunu. However, he acknowledged a concerning rise in other serious crimes. “During this quarter, sexual offences, including rape and contact sexual crimes, as well as commercial crimes have shown increases.”
The minister also addressed the ongoing threat to law enforcement, revealing that 22 police officers were killed in the first three months of the year. Of these, ten were in Gauteng, with six officers dying while on duty and 16 while off duty.
“This is not just a loss to SAPS but to the entire nation. Let us be clear: an attack on police officers is an attack on the state, and those responsible will face the might of the law,” said Mchunu.
Addressing a separate concern, Mchunu dismissed claims of a so-called “white genocide” in South Africa as baseless and inflammatory. “There is no evidence to support the narrative that white South Africans are being specifically targeted for violent attacks,” he stated, urging citizens to rely on official data rather than social media-fuelled misinformation.
In a bid to enhance investigative capabilities, Mchunu announced plans to build new forensic laboratories in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Free State. These facilities are expected to reduce DNA and toxicology backlogs and strengthen the justice system.
“We want to improve the efficiency of our forensic services, which are critical to policing,” Mchunu explained. “In the coming weeks, we will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Science and Innovation, which has agreed to grant SAPS access to their lab at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).”
VOC News
Photo: Sourced
