Premier Winde and Minister Marais cautiously welcome reduction in murders, but warn violent crime still unacceptably high
Premier Alan Winde and Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, have cautiously welcomed the decrease in murders and violent crime recorded in the Western Cape during the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year.
The latest South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics show that murders in the province decreased by 8%, from 1 068 cases in January to March 2025 to 983 cases in same period this year. Attempted murder also decreased by 10.3%, from 1 143 to 1 025 cases, while overall contact crime declined by 6.5%.
“While these reductions are encouraging, the levels of violence in our province remain unacceptably high. Gang violence is a serious concern, accounting for the majority of murders in this region,” said Premier Winde.
The data shows that murders in the combined Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) areas decreased from 294 in January to March 2025 to 262 in the same period in 2026, a reduction 10.9%.
Performance across the individual LEAP areas was mixed. Notable year-on-year reductions were recorded in:
- Delft: down 22.7%
- Mitchells Plain: down 18.5%
- Nyanga: down 30.2%
- Philippi East: down 18.6%
However, increases were recorded in:
- Gugulethu: up 19.5%
- Khayelitsha: up 26.3%
Minister Marais said, “I welcome the overall reduction in murders in the province. However, my continued appeal to both residents and the SAPS is for stronger collaboration to improve our collective intelligence footprint. A proper, functional intelligence capability is essential if we are to prevent killings before they occur, rather than merely responding after lives have already been lost.”
“We need to restore public confidence in the SAPS, encourage residents to come forward with information on criminal activities, and ensure that sensitive information is handled responsibly so that those who assist law enforcement are properly protected. This will enable us to arrest those responsible for the ongoing killings, secure successful prosecutions, and ultimately restore safety to our communities,” Minister Marais added.
Earlier this week, the Premier, Minister Marais and MAYCO Member for Safety and Security in the City of Cape Town, JP Smith, accompanied LEAP, Law Enforcement, SAPS, and Provincial Traffic officials, as well as Neighbourhood Watch Members, on a safety walkabout in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain. The message from residents was clear: criminals must be rooted out of their community. “We will walk this road to safety with you,” the Premier stressed as he interacted with fed up community members.
During a briefing at Mitchells Plain Police Station, the Station Commander spoke of the critical value of partnerships with the Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town. Premier Winde stated that the provincial government is driving safety partnerships through initiatives such as the Mitchells Plain Safety and Development Forum. “Mitchells Plain has immense potential as an investment and job creation growth hub. We cannot surrender to gangs and allow them to run rampant and hold communities here or anywhere in our province ransom. Policing is so under-resourced. The policing budget for this region should be dramatically increased and prioritised for improved intelligence gathering and expanding investigative capabilities to municipalities,” he concluded.