Gang violence persists as Western Cape records 1157 murders in three months
Provincial Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais during a briefing on the second-quarter crime stats for 2025/2026.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
The Western Cape has reported 1,157 murders from October to December 2025, averaging around 385 each month, over 96 weekly, and more than 13 daily.
The grim figure highlights the province's status as the epicentre of gang-related violence in crisis.
The number recorded is 41 fewer than the same period last year.
Presenting the third quarter crime statistics for the 2025/2026 financial year, provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile said the province saw an overall decrease across the 17 community-reported crime categories and a reduction in contact crimes, but warned that serious violence remains deeply entrenched.
"Murder reduced by 41 cases to 1,157 this quarter. That translates to 15.2 murders per 100,000 people, down from 16 last year," Patekile said. "But 1,157 murders in a single quarter is still far too high."
The Western Cape continues to account for more than 15% of national crime, despite its smaller population share, and some of its police stations dominate the country’s top 13 murder hotspots. Mfuleni is ranked number one nationally, alongside Delft, Nyanga, Mitchells Plain and Gugulethu.
Anroux Marais, MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, said the numbers confirm what residents already know.
"The province continues to face deeply entrenched challenges in categories like murder, attempted murder and rape, underscoring persistent levels of firearm-related violence and targeted attacks in communities," Marais said.
"Frankly, the Western Cape remains the epicentre of gang-related violence in South Africa."
According to the statistics, one in four murders and attempted murders in the province are gang-related, with the Cape Flats, Delft and Mfuleni at the centre of the bloodshed. Firearms remain the weapon of choice.
"Firearms continue to dominate as the chosen dangerous weapon in murder cases," Marais said.
While trio crimes such as carjackings, house robberies and business robberies declined, police recorded increases in attempted murder and sexual offences. Attempted murder rose across the three months under review, while rape cases increased by 17 counts, sexual assault by 34 and attempted sexual offences by 8.
Patekile attributed much of the violence to the availability of guns and drugs.
"The prevalence of serious violent crime is driven by the availability of firearms, ammunition and drugs," he said.
During the quarter, police confiscated 607 illegal firearms and more than 14 000 rounds of mixed ammunition, continuing what provincial leaders describe as aggressive, targeted operations.
"Western Cape SAPS continues to confiscate more firearms than other provinces.
"That tells us two important things, first, that our members are actively removing guns from the wrong hands, and second, that citizens are increasingly providing information about illegal firearms and violence," Marais said.
However, about 7,000 firearms remain unaccounted for and are not linked to current licensed holders.
"We suspect some of those are being used in the commission of crime."
Marais said improvements in crime intelligence and investigative capacity are critical if the province is to shift the trajectory of violent crime.
"We need two urgent improvements to prevent these horrific killings. First, Crime Intelligence must be properly capacitated and stabilised in the Western Cape so that it drives preventative action. Second, intelligence must translate into operational action on the ground."
Meanwhile, plans are in place for the deployment of the South African National Defence Force into gang-ridden communities, although no official date has been confirmed.
"The SANDF is coming. Although the exact date is not yet known. Plans are in place, all that remains is to see boots on the ground. It is soon. We are eagerly waiting too. We did the plans," Patekile said.
Rape, attempted murder and domestic violence have surged in the Western Cape, with 937 domestic-related cases recorded between October and December 2025.
Jay Jay Idel, community activist from Fight Against Crime South Africa (FACSA) who had heeded the call for the deployment of the SANDF, said the figures were “deeply concerning”, particularly given that gender-based violence and femicide had previously been declared a national state of disaster.
“Government has acknowledged that alcohol and drugs are major drivers of violence, yet liquor outlets continue operating in vulnerable communities and drug markets remain active. The same hotspot precincts appear quarter after quarter. That points to reactive policing rather than preventative governance,” he said.
David Abrahams from Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (C4) questioned whether quarterly crime statistics were an accurate measure of progress in tackling crime.
“In our view, quarterly statistics are not a reliable barometer of whether the fight against crime is being won. A focus on arrests and boots on the ground does not necessarily reflect progress against organised crime and gangsterism,” Abrahams said.