The South African government is determined to deal with crime despite media reports to the contrary.
This is the word from Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who briefed the media in Cape Town on Thursday.
“Cabinet has noted the continuous debate about crime in South Africa and allegations that there is a lack of a concrete government plan to deal with crime in South Africa. This is despite that on the 23rd of May 2025, the Minister of Police released the 2024/25 fourth quarter [statistics].
“During this crime statistics release, the Minister of Police outlined the Seventh Administration’s policing priorities,” she said.
Those priorities are:
• Reducing the murder rate;
• reducing illegal firearms and tightening controls over legal firearms.
• Fighting gender-based violence and femicide (GBV+F) and
• dismantling organised crime, including drug trafficking syndicates, cash-in-transit heists, extortion and kidnappings, tackling gang violence and combating corruption both within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and across the country.
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“The…statistics showed progress of a general decline compared to the same period in the previous financial year. For example, of the 30 high crime police stations in terms of reporting, 13 have recorded lower counts [of crime reporting] and two recorded no change.
“On farm murders…whereas in principle, government does not categorise South Africans in terms of race, in light of recent misinformation, the following are the statistics; of the farm owners killed - both… were African. Of the farm workers killed, both…of them were Africans and of the five farm managers killed, one was African [thereby] dismantling the misinformation that there is a targeted attack on White commercial farmers or White farmers in general,” she explained.
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Furthermore, Operation Shanela continues to score gains against illegal firearms with 128 of those seized recently.
“The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations is also continuing its work which resulted in 656 suspects appearing in court, including 364 linked to serious organised crimes, 220 from serious commercial crimes and 72 from serious corruption.
“On GBVF, a roundtable led by [the] Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF will be held…tomorrow at the Atteridgeville Community Hall in Pretoria and this will focus on the National Strategic Plan implementation and progress thereof. It will also evaluate and reinforce the effectiveness and efficiencies of services provided to GBVF victims,” she said.
Political killings
Cabinet also welcomed the guilty plea entered into by Sibusiso Ngcengwa in the murder of former ANC Youth League Secretary General and municipal councilor, Sindiso Magaqa.
Magaqa was killed in 2017 in an apparent hit in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Cabinet takes political killings seriously more so because the victims of those are people who are committed to the fight against corruption in municipalities or in government.
“We are hopeful that this breakthrough will shed further light on other players involved in the murder of Mr Sindiso Magaqa,” Ntshavheni said. – SAnews.gov.za
