The latest crime statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS) show a 9% drop in reported crime in the Chatsworth policing precinct — but behind the encouraging headline, assault, theft and drug-related crime remain concerns.
The latest SAPS crime statistics, released on August 28, show that 1,859 crimes were reported in the Chatsworth policing precinct between April and June 2026, compared with 2,043 during the same period in 2025.
That represents a decrease of 184 cases, or 9%, offering some relief to communities served by Chatsworth SAPS.
But the overall decline does not tell the full story.
Chatsworth remains one of eThekwini’s busiest policing precincts, while crimes affecting residents in their everyday lives continue to place pressure on police and the community.
Data from the preceding financial year show that common assault, theft and drug-related crime were among the biggest contributors to the Chatsworth crime burden.
During 2025/26, the precinct recorded 1,225 cases of common assault, 1,208 cases of theft not mentioned elsewhere and 1,044 drug-related crimes.
Drug-related crime increased by 89 cases compared with the previous financial year.
The figures come as South Africa recorded a mixed crime picture nationally.
Murder decreased by 5.9% nationally during the first quarter, while robbery with aggravating circumstances dropped by 14.7%. Carjacking decreased by 18.2% and robbery at residential premises fell by 17.6%.
However, attempted murder increased by 8.7%, assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm rose by 2.5%, and common assault increased by 2%.
KwaZulu-Natal continues to carry a heavy share of the country’s violent-crime burden.
The province recorded 1,179 murders during the quarter, the second-highest provincial total, while 1,820 rape cases were reported — the highest provincial figure nationally.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said the statistics showed that while progress was being made, crime remained concentrated in particular policing precincts.
He said the SAPS leadership examined the country’s crime picture every Monday to identify shifts and determine whether resources were having the desired impact.
“That process has made one thing unmistakably clear. Alcohol is a primary driver of violence in this country,” Cachalia said.
He said violence was concentrated over weekends, at night and around liquor outlets, including unlicensed establishments.
“A very substantial proportion of our murders and serious assaults involve people who were drinking, killing or injuring people they knew, often over trivial arguments,” he said.
Cachalia said this meant that a portion of the country’s murder rate was not driven by organised criminals or armed robbers, but by ordinary people who were intoxicated and had access to weapons.
“We cannot arrest our way out of that,” he said, calling for stronger enforcement of liquor licensing and municipal by-laws, as well as a broader conversation about alcohol.
His comments are particularly relevant to communities such as Chatsworth, where police continue to deal with assault, drug-related offences and other crimes that affect residents at community level.
Cachalia also stressed that the national decline in certain serious crimes should not lead to complacency.
“Every murder remains one too many. Every victim deserves justice,” he said.
For Chatsworth, the 9% reduction is encouraging, but 1,859 reported crimes in three months remains a sobering figure.
