Gauteng contact crimes fall 3% but assaults increase, police say
Gauteng police reported a 3% decline in contact crimes from April to June 2026, while attempted murder and assault offences increased.
Contact crimes in Gauteng decreased by 1,136 cases in the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, but police recorded increases in attempted murder and assault offences.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni presented the figures to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Friday. The reporting period covered April to June 2026.
Mthombeni said contact crimes were down 3% compared with the corresponding period. He nevertheless described the province's murder level as extremely concerning, despite a decline in killings.
The commissioner identified attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and common assault as categories that had increased. Police view these offences as potential precursors to fatal violence.
Weapons and vehicles recovered
Police said Operation Shanela produced 38,584 arrests during the quarter. Those figures included 148 arrests linked to murder cases and 1,641 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. More than 6,000 arrests were connected to drug-related offences.
The operation also resulted in the recovery of 252 firearms, including 22 rifles and nine shotguns, as well as 5,981 rounds of ammunition. Police reported recovering 589 explosive devices believed to be associated with cash-in-transit and ATM bombings.
A further 144 hijacked vehicles, including motorcycles, were recovered. Mthombeni told the legislature that motorcycles used by food-delivery riders were increasingly being targeted.
The numbers presented to the legislature are operational and crime-statistics figures supplied by Gauteng police. Arrests do not amount to convictions, and each accused person is entitled to the court process.