Gauteng government welcomes decline in crime while intensifying efforts to build safer communities

The Gauteng Provincial Government welcomes the release of Provincial Crime Statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year by the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The statistics reflect a continued downward trend in overall crime across the province.A 5.2% reduction in the 17 community-reported serious crimes, including declines in contact crimes such as murder and attempted murder, signals encouraging progress in the fight against crime.

The provincial government also notes decreases in key categories, including property-related crime, down by 9.7%, carjacking, down by 17.1%, and rape cases down by 9.9%.

These improvements demonstrate that integrated law enforcement operations, stronger partnerships and active community collaborations are delivering results. Initiatives such as Operation Shanela 2 and broader Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) interventions continue to disrupt criminal activity, improve visibility and strengthen response capacity across Gauteng.

The…