SA Crime stats | Murder rate declines but violent crime persists: Dr Mxolisi Mathebula weighs in

South Africa has recorded some encouraging movement in serious crime, but the latest figures also underline just how deeply violence and organised crime remain embedded in society.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia yesterday released the first quarter crime statistics for the 2026-2027 financial year.

Murder, carjackings, and several robbery categories have declined, but South Africans continue to face high levels of violent and organised crime, while gang violence, attacks on police, and politically linked killings remain a major concern.

Are we seeing a genuine improvement in policing, or is it simply a fluctuation in the numbers, and what do these figures tell us about the deeper drivers of crime?

Crime and policing expert Dr. Mxolisi Mathebula joins us to unpack these questions and numbers.

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