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Mpumalanga has seen a decrease in violent crimes, including murder, sexual offences and aggravated robbery, over the last quarter.
This is according to the fourth-quarter crime statistics for the 2025/26 financial year, released at the SAPS provincial head office in Mbombela on Monday.
According to the statistics, overall contact crime in Mpumalanga dropped by 8.6%.
The stats revealed a decline across almost all major crime categories, keeping 784 violent cases off the books.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Donald Mdhluli said aggravated robberies led the drop with a 19.2% decrease, representing 346 fewer incidents.
The provincial murder rate fell by 7.7%, with 21 fewer murders compared to the same period last year, while assaults with intent to cause grievous bodily harm dropped by 5.5% and common robberies saw a 2.6% decrease.
The data shows that sexual offences declined by 12.4%.
Mdhluli attributed the decline in sexual offences to continuous, targeted awareness campaigns using radio interviews, school visits and community meetings to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and educate the public on reporting procedures.
Despite these gains, police have warned that a dangerous combination of alcohol abuse and sophisticated online scams threatens to undo the province’s progress in combating crime.
“Our analysis indicates that the abuse of alcohol continues to be a contributing factor in many violent incidents. In numerous cases, both perpetrators and victims are found to have consumed alcohol prior to altercations that eventually escalate into violence,” said Mdhluli.
To address this challenge, police launched Operation Shanela Two, stepping up compliance checks and raids at taverns and liquor outlets to enforce trading laws and shut down illegal operations.
“These operations focus on ensuring adherence to liquor regulations, combating illegal liquor trading and addressing criminal activities associated with alcohol abuse,” Mdhluli said.
“We remain committed to working closely with liquor businesses, municipalities, community structures and other stakeholders to reduce alcohol-related violence.”
The statistics also highlighted a rise in commercial crime by digital fraud.
Mdhluli said police issued a warning to online shoppers, noting that syndicates are using social media platforms and deceptive online advertisements to trick buyers into paying for non-existent goods.
“These scams result in financial losses and contribute to the increase in commercial crime cases being registered. We therefore urge members of the public to exercise caution when conducting online transactions. Consumers should verify the legitimacy of sellers, avoid making payments to unverified accounts and report suspicious activities to the police without delay.”
Mdhluli noted that there had been an increase in shoplifting and certain sexual assault cases, prompting police to collaborate with local retailers and private security firms to tighten shopping centre security while continuing to push for community behavioural change.
“The fight against crime cannot be won by the police alone. Sustainable crime reduction requires active participation from communities, business, civil society and all spheres of government.”
Mpumalanga police plan to execute a strategy focused on boosting police visibility in high-crime hotspots, tracking down wanted suspects and confiscating illegal firearms.
“Vala Umgodi is still one continuous operation that we will maintain in this province to ensure that we deal decisively with illegal mining in which firearms happen to be used by those involved in this illegal practice,” Mdhluli said.
TimesLIVE
Emanuel Majola
www.timeslive.co.za
