Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in Afrikaans here and English here
• Contact crime is rising in several Gauteng hotspots, with Tembisa, Diepsloot and Alexandra recording increases.
• Residents remain gripped by violent crime, including murder, rape, assault, carjacking and robbery.
• DA calls for more targeted policing, more visible police and resources for crime hotspots.
Gauteng has recorded considerable declines in several major crime categories in the First Quarter Crime Statistics for the 2026/27 financial year (April to June 2026). However, a closer examination of the figures at the metro, district, and police station levels reveals a concerning reality. Notable increases in contact crime at several police stations indicate that Gauteng residents remain exposed to serious and violent offences, including murder, attempted murder, rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), carjacking, and robbery, among others.
The figures suggest that the overall provincial decline is masking localised increases in crime. They are a stark reminder that residents do not experience crime as a provincial percentage, but in their neighbourhoods where rising levels of contact crime are unleashing turmoil, shattering lives and traumatising communities. The recent gruesome murders of five women in Ekurhuleni are a tragic illustration of this reality.
The Democratic Alliance reiterates our call to Premier Panyaza Lesufi to work with his national counterpart, Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, to direct policing resources to areas heavily affected by contact crimes and increase visible policing to prevent and disrupt violent criminal activities.
A year-on-year statistics comparison between April–June 2025 and April–June 2026 reveals significant increases in contact crime at several Gauteng police stations, with Tembisa recording the largest rise of 16.1%, from 732 to 850 cases, followed by Diepsloot at 12.3% (487 to 547), Alexandra at 10.4% (603 to 666), Mamelodi East at 7.8% (580 to 625), Orange Farms at 7.7% (546 to 588), and Jeppe at 4.0% (671 to 698).
The quarter-to-quarter figures are equally troubling. Comparing January–March 2026 with April–June 2026, contact crime increased at Tembisa by 9.0%, Alexandra by 4.4%, Jeppe by 0.6%, JHB Central by 1.1%, and Ivory Park by 0.4%.
The increases in Tembisa, Diepsloot, Alexandra, Mamelodi East and Orange Farms are particularly concerning because these communities already face serious service delivery failures. Residents cannot be expected to endure failing services while also being left increasingly vulnerable to crime.
While policing is primarily a national responsibility, the Lesufi-led government cannot stand aside. It must support law enforcement, strengthen partnerships with municipalities and communities, and direct resources towards crime prevention and safer communities. These localised increases show that provincial averages alone do not tell the full story; government must respond to what residents are experiencing on the ground.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would urgently engage the Minister of Police to delegate certain policing powers to the provincial level. This would allow the province to allocate resources more effectively to contact-crime hotspots, improve coordination between the SAPS, municipal law enforcement, and communities, and strengthen support for Community Policing Forums and community patrollers.