Gauteng residents continue to live in fear as the South African Police Service (SAPS) First Quarterly Crime Stats of 2026-2027 (April 2026 to June 2026) reveal that the province is the country’s biggest contributor to kidnapping and several serious crimes. These statistics are a serious indictment of Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s crime-fighting strategies that continue to fall short of making Gauteng safer for all its residents.
It is high time Premier Lesufi pays attention to the Democratic Alliance's (DA) call for action on the critical issues facing policing. This includes ensuring that police stations are well-resourced, adequately equipped, and sufficiently staffed. Such improvements will enable officers to investigate cases, apprehend criminals, and achieve successful convictions.
While some crime categories recorded year-on-year declines, Gauteng remains the country’s highest contributor to kidnapping, accounting for a staggering 51% of all reported kidnapping cases nationally.
The province also recorded the highest national contribution to attempted murder at 25.5% and Assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) at 20.4%. In the first quarter of the 2026-2027 financial year, Gauteng reported 1,772 attempted murders, marking an increase from the 1,720 cases recorded in the same period of the previous financial year, 2025-2026. This indicates an increase of 3.0% (+52 cases).
These figures further expose the ongoing threat facing residents in their communities.
The situation at educational institutions is also concerning. While Gauteng has seen an 8% decrease in rape cases overall compared to the previous year, incidents within academic settings have surged dramatically, rising by 61.5% from one quarter to the next. This jump brought the number of reported cases from 13 to 21. These included cases at special needs schools, tertiary institutions, and early childhood facilities.
This increase cannot be dismissed as just another statistic. Every case represents a victim whose safety was compromised in a place where they should be protected.
Gauteng’s murder rate also remains deeply concerning despite a 10.7% year-on-year decline. The province recorded 1 276 murders, the highest provincial contribution nationally at 23.5%. More than half of these murders, or 652, were committed using firearms, highlighting the urgent need to address the proliferation of illegal firearms.
The statistics further show that Gauteng accounted for 26.1% of all contact crimes nationally, the highest contribution in the country, with 11 of the 30 police stations recording the highest levels of contact crime located in the province.
Adding to these concerns, drug-related crime increased by 8.7% year-on-year, from 10 687 to 11 619 cases, an increase of 932 cases. The continued rise in drug-related crime points to a broader failure to disrupt the criminal networks and conditions fuelling crime across Gauteng communities.
These figures demonstrate that Gauteng residents cannot afford complacency or continue relying on the same crime-fighting strategies while expecting different results.
Residents of Gauteng deserve to live, work, study, and raise their families without fear. The latest crime statistics demonstrate that this is currently not the case.
The DA is the only party committed to restoring the rule of law in Gauteng communities. Through our CCC approach - Catch, Convict and Clean - we will catch criminal, convict them, and clean our communities.
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