12.4% decrease in murder between Jan and March, reveals Police Minister Mchunu
During the first three months of the year, 5,727 people were murdered in the country compared to 6,536 last year.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu presented the quarterly crime stats for the fourth quarter of the previous financial year (1 January 2025 – 31 March 2025) at GCIS Pretoria, on 23 May 2025. Picture: @SAPoliceService/X
JOHANNESBURG - During the first three months of the year, 5,727 people were murdered in the country, a rate of about 63 people killed a day.
This figure also shows a 12.4% decrease compared to the previous year, where 6,536 murders were recorded.
On Friday, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu presented the fourth quarter crime statistics, covering the period between 1 January to 31 March 2025.
Mchunu said that while it was encouraging that the murder rate had dropped by double-digit figures, the killings remain very high.
"We are encouraged that all but one province recorded decreases in murder incidents. The Northern Cape, despite contributing only 2% to the national murder statistics, recorded an increase, which cannot be ignored and will be addressed with targeted actions. The four high-crime provinces - Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape - contributed the bulk of murder incidents nationally."