The latest crime statistics show a significant decline in murder rates in several high-priority areas of the Western Cape, indicating that targeted safety and crime-prevention programmes are yielding measurable results.
While murder figures across the province have risen overall, Premier Alan Winde said the data demonstrates the effectiveness of collaborative policing initiatives in regions where they have been properly implemented.
‘Outraged and disturbed’
“While I am outraged and disturbed by the murder rates in the province and across the country, we can see that cooperative and locally managed policing programmes are reducing murder rates and urgently need to be funded by national government for implementation in every single policing precinct,” Winde said.
Comparing Quarter 2 of 2024 with Quarter 2 of 2025, areas supported by the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) – including Delft, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Mitchell’s Plain, Nyanga and Philippi East – recorded a 9.4% decrease in murders.
This contrasts sharply with the 9.1% increase experienced across the wider province.
Even more notable were the results from the three reaction unit areas – Elsies River, Manenberg and Steenberg – which together achieved a 14.3% reduction.
Manenberg saw a 20.8% decline in murders, while Steenberg reported a dramatic 56.3% drop.
Illegal guns
The majority of murder cases in the Western Cape continue to involve firearms, prompting intensified calls from the provincial government and the City of Cape Town for enhanced investigative powers related to illegal guns.
Winde said LEAP’s successes reinforce the urgency of addressing firearm-related crime.
“Our success with LEAP now adds urgency and credibility to this request – we can get illegal guns off our streets,” he said.
The Western Cape Government welcomed support from Acting Minister of Police, Cachalia, for these targeted initiatives. Winde stressed the importance of continued cooperation with national authorities, adding: “The evidence is compelling, the time is now.”
Positive sentiment
Policing Oversight and Community Safety Minister Anroux Marais echoed the positive sentiment while noting the broader challenge.
“It is encouraging to see that our LEAP deployment areas continue to show positive results in reducing the murder rate. Yet, we cannot ignore the reality that violent crime and murder remain unacceptably high,” she said.
Marais reiterated the urgent need to tackle the proliferation of illegal firearms and called on the South African Police Service and other law enforcement bodies to intensify efforts to remove these weapons and prosecute those responsible for their distribution.
She added that lasting change requires more than policing alone.
“By strengthening violence-prevention initiatives and fostering holistic development, we aim to ensure that people receive the support they need to build meaningful, dignified lives,” Marais concluded.
