Although crime remains a concern for Gauteng residents, recent crime stats show a decrease in contact crimes between January 2026 and March 2026.
On Tuesday, Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni presented the province’s fourth-quarter crime stats.
Contact crimes include murder, sexual offences, attempted murder, assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, common assault, common robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Gauteng still contributes the highest number over a three-year period (45391 in 2024, 41527 in 2025 and 39094 in 2026), followed by Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, North West, Free State, Limpopo and Northern Cape.
Sedibeng is the only district that recorded an increase of 6.4% in contact crimes – from 2 971 to 3 162. However, across the province’s districts, you are more likely to experience contact crime in Johannesburg (15 059), Ekurhuleni (9 146), Tshwane (8 946), Sedibeng (3 162) than in the West Rand (2 761).
The top 40 stations for contact crimes are Tembisa ( ranked at number eight nationally), Ivory Park, Johannesburg Central, Jeppe, Roodepoort, Temba, Mamelodi East, Alexandra, Hillbrow and Eldorado Park. All these police stations are in the top 30 nationally.
Sexual assault recorded a 5.2% increase, from 403 to 424, during the same period last year.
Crime statistics: Leading causes of murder
In Gauteng, you’re most likely to get killed during an argument, misunderstanding, provocation or a fight, with 172 murders recorded. Mob justice is the second cause of murders in Gauteng, with 74 cases recorded during this period. This is followed by robbery (68), retaliation/revenge/punishment (47), hijacking and attempts (17), taxi-related (15), illicit mining (11), gang-related (10) and others (19).
You’re also most likely to meet your end in a public place (664 murders), followed by residences of perpetrator/victim (215), liquor outlets (28), business premises (15) and public transport premises (13).
Firearms are the most preferred weapon for murder (488 cases), knife (102), sharp instrument (43), body part (33), stone/brick/rock (17).
The top 10 stations for murder are Jeppe, Alexandra, Ivory Park, Eldorado Park, Bekkersdal, Vanderbijlpark, Orange Farm, Johannesburg Central, Moroka and Dobsonville.
Robbery at residential premises in Gauteng
At least 1 486 cases of robbery at residential premises in Gauteng were recorded between January and March, compared to 1 861 during the same period last year.
The top 40 stations for robbery at residential premises in Gauteng are Evaton (third nationally), Dobsonville, Orange Farm, Temba, Honeydew, Lenasia, Loate, Mamelodi East, Kagiso and Brooklyn. All but Brooklyn (22) are in the top 20 stations nationally.
Operation Shanela 2
According to Mthombeni, Operation Shanela 2 resulted in the arrest of 36 122 suspects during this period, of which 11 715 were illegal immigrants. At least 155 suspects were arrested for murder, 220 for robbery, 1 993 for assault GBH and 1 621 arrests for assault common.
Police recovered 278 firearms (26 rifles and seven shotguns), 7 849 various kinds of ammunition, 247 dangerous weapons, 163 hijacked or stolen vehicles/motorcycles and vehicles used in the commission of a crime, 1 630 kilograms of various kinds of drugs, 206 kilograms of cables (essential infrastructure), 83 770 litres of liquor and closure of 1 205 illegal liquor outlets, 313 893 items of counterfeit or illicit goods.
“These successes and recoveries are only for Shanela operations and do not include day-to-day operational successes,” said Mthombeni.
