Gauteng sees significant drop in crime rates

The Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has congratulated the Gauteng Police and Law Enforcement Agencies for achieving a significant 4.5% decrease in overall crime during the first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.
According to Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, this reduction translates to 4,709 fewer crimes compared to the same period last year.
The committee highlighted several notable successes, including 65,445 arrests, with 11,688 of those being illegal immigrants.

The province also saw a decrease in 16 of the 17 community-reported crimes, contributing to a safer environment for Gauteng residents.
Additionally, 1,492 firearms and 1.968 kg of drugs were recovered.

Contact crime in the province decreased by 5.4%, including offences such as murder, attempted murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Property-related crime also decreased, with an overall reduction of 6.7%.

The police secured 37 life sentences and an additional 1,827 years of imprisonment during the same period.
This includes 26 life sentences for sexual offences and nine for murder.

While acknowledging these achievements, the committee remains aware of the ongoing concerns regarding crime, as reflected in the Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS) 2023/24.

“The survey reveals that many South Africans still feel that more needs to be done in the fight against crime,” said the committee.
“This concern is valid, and we share the public sentiment that crime continues to pose a significant challenge.”

The committee reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with all stakeholders to further ensure the reduction of crime and improve community safety in Gauteng.