Between July and September 2023 a total of 264 people were murdered in the Free State province. This is 30 more than in the same period last year. The 2023 second quarter crime statistics, released on Friday 17 November, portrays a dark picture, implying that three people are murdered in the province daily.

While many crimes have increased (common robbery, rape, etc.) and some others have decreased (stock theft, shoplifting etc.),there is a serious underreporting of crimes because of a lack of trust in the criminal justice system.

The high caseloads of detectives and the lack of resources, such as appropriate training, vehicles, and forensic capacity, is a stumbling block to both visible policing and detection, which affects the successful prosecution of criminals, Leona Kleynhans, DA Community Safety Spokesperson in the Free State Legislature