WC's murder rate down but GBV increased, crime stats reveal
That's according to the latest crime statistics for July to the end of September this year.
Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais (left) and provincial police commissioner, Lt-Gen Thembisile Patekile (second from right) at a briefing on 26 November 2025 where the province's crime stats for the period of July to September 2024 were presented to the media. Picture: @SAPoliceService/X
CAPE TOWN - The murder rate in the Western Cape has dropped by eight percent.
That's according to the latest crime statistics for July to the end of September this year.
The third quarter figures also show murders against women and children have increased.
Western Cape policing officials held a media briefing on Tuesday to discuss the crime stats in the province.
Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile and the province's MEC for police oversight and community safety, Anroux Marais, expressed concern about the high level of children killed in gang violence.
Patekile said that significant decreases had been recorded in contact crimes such as murder and aggravated robbery but gender-based violence (GBV) remained a concern.
He said that police were taking a different approach.
"We have so many structures that we are using to combat GBV. For example, we have the men's forums in most of the districts, where men are taking the lead to talk to men, not only young men, to men."
Marais said that young boys in poor communities turned to crime because they lacked a sense of belonging and good role models.
"We work closely with cultural affairs and sport, DSD, our economic development, health and then our own department to see how we can better the social fabric of our communities."
Marais said it was a complex issue but efforts were being made to help young men make better life choices.