KwaZulu-Natal police have reinforced their message that the battle against crime is being won following the release of the latest Provincial Crime Statistics for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year. The statistics were revealed during a briefing by the Acting Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Major General (MG) Phumelele Makoba, earlier today.
MG Makoba highlighted that murder, rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances, common robbery and sexual offences had all decreased.
“Murder cases recorded a decrease of 20 murders compared to the same period last year, which is a reduction of 1.7%. The decrease in murder cases and all other crime categories that went down is an indication that police’s efforts in fighting crime are bearing fruits, and we applaud our members for enduring long hours and sleepless nights to keep residents of KwaZulu-Natal safe.
“However, the number of people who get killed per quarter in this province is still too high. From April to June 2026, 1 179 people were killed in KwaZulu-Natal. We cannot normalise this and be happy that the crime of murder has gone down. Police can do as much, but without the active participation of community members in crime prevention endeavours, criminals will continue to terrorise our communities.”
MG Makoba said that 124 murders and 422 attempted murders happened because of arguments, misunderstandings, road rage and provocation. She called on communities to exercise patience on public roads and resolve issues peacefully.
“Gender-Based Violence remains a thorn in the flesh of police officers and law-abiding citizens alike. The numbers show that rape has gone down by 1.3%, which is a reduction of 24 cases. The reduction of 24 rape cases must just be a motivating factor, not an achievement that leads to complacency. Between April and June 2026, 1 820 women were raped in KwaZulu-Natal. For the past three years, our province has been recording 1 800 rape cases in the same quarter.
“The challenge is that the crime of rape either happens between people who know each other, or at places which are almost impossible for police officers to prevent the crime. Eight hundred and forty-six rape cases happened at the residences of either the perpetrator or the victim, followed by 266 rape cases which happened at public places such as recreational centres, parking lots, streets and abandoned buildings.”
MG Makoba said domestic violence-related cases had once again been flagged as a major concern in KZN, with 32 females and 14 males dead as a result of domestic-related altercations. The province also recorded 115 attempted murder cases related to domestic violence. Seventy-one of the victims were females, and 44 were males.
“We are calling for families to return to the traditional ways of resolving domestic conflicts. No amount of violence can solve any problem, instead the concerned parties risk being arrested.”
Other highlighted figures included 9 282 cases of assault, covering both common assault and assault GBH, which is an increase of 8.3%. Since January 2026, 112 397 people have been arrested for various crimes during Operation Shanela; 2 487 firearms were recovered; and 29 353 rounds of ammunition were recovered.
MG Makoba also shared that 48 officers were lost through dismissals and/or dishonourable discharges.
“Fighting crime is indeed a collaboration between police and community members, and together we can clean our communities, restore morals and promote the rule of law,” she concluded.
