Picture: iStock
You are more likely to be killed in South Africa as a result of an argument, misunderstanding, or road rage, according to the latest crime statistics.
On Friday, the police’s top brass, including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, released the third-quarter crime statistics for the 2024/2025 financial year, covering the period from October to December 2024.
The latest figures indicate a decrease in the number of murder cases, with 6 953 recorded, and a reduction in sexual offences, totalling 14 973 cases, including 11 803 cases of rape.
These numbers represent a downward trend compared to the same period in the previous year.
However, there was an increase in cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), which rose to 54 337, as well as malicious damage to property, which climbed to 30 847 cases.
South African Police Service (Saps) official Thulare Norman Sekhukhune revealed that arguments, misunderstandings, road rage, and provocation were the leading causes of murder, attempted murder, and assault GBH.
Within this category, 1 453 murders were reported, along with 2 112 attempted murder cases and 26 337 cases of assault GBH.
Other key drivers of murder included robbery, which accounted for 403 cases, vigilantism or mob justice, which led to 389 cases, and gang-related crimes, with 294 reported incidents.
ALSO READ: Murder cases decrease by 9.8% in crime statistics — These provinces ‘dominate criminality’ in SA
Revenge or punishment killings were responsible for 217 cases, while taxi violence and hijacking resulted in 57 and 48 murders, respectively.
According to the provincial breakdown, the Eastern Cape recorded the highest number of murders linked to arguments, misunderstandings, road rage, and provocation, with 438 incidents.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) followed with 306 cases, while the Western Cape and Gauteng recorded 287 and 179 cases, respectively.
“We drew from a sample of 6 651 and tried to establish what are the causative factors across the different provinces,” Sekhukhune explained.
Robbery-related murders were most common in the Western Cape, where 119 cases were reported, followed closely by Gauteng with 118 cases and KZN with 69 cases.
Mob justice killings were most prevalent in Gauteng, where 90 cases were recorded, followed by 80 in KZN and 75 in the Western Cape.
Gang-related murders were primarily concentrated in the Western Cape, with 263 reported cases.
Sekhukhune also discussed multiple murders linked to revenge or retaliation, highlighting an incident in Orange Farm where seven people, including a three-year-old boy, were killed during lobola negotiations.
Four others were injured in the same attack, leading to additional attempted murder charges.
“One person from the negotiating team went to a tavern to buy additional alcohol, but the tavern owner refused because it was past operating hours. He was slapped and went back to the lobola negotiations.
READ MORE: Five gruesome crimes that shocked South Africa in 2024
“The tavern owner got aggrieved, took his firearm, went to that house, killed seven people, and also resulted in four attempted murders.
“This brings into context the social crime in a manner in which we are not in a position to resolve conflict without resorting to violence,” Sekhukhune explained.
Firearms remain the weapon of choice in murders, with 2 886 cases recorded.
The second most common weapon used was knives, involved in 1 185 murders, followed by sharp instruments in 544 cases and blunt instruments in 255 cases.
Gauteng recorded the highest number of firearm-related murders, with 849 cases, followed by KZN with 670, the Western Cape with 634, and the Eastern Cape with 474.
“This does not mean it is a one-to-one relationship,” Sekhukhune clarified.
“This simply indicates the weapons that were used, not necessarily the count of the weapons that were used,” he added.
Knife-related murders were most prevalent in the Eastern Cape, with 258 cases, while KZN recorded 240 cases, and the Western Cape had 228.
Download our app
