JOHANNESBURG - Murders in Gauteng have declined, but the number of lives lost remains “extremely concerning”, according to provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni.
Mthombeni was briefing the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Friday on the province’s first-quarter crime statistics, covering the period from April to June 2026.
He highlighted the results of Operation Shanela, which he said led to 38,584 arrests during the quarter. Of those arrested, 14,256 were identified as illegal immigrants, while 148 arrests were linked to murder cases.
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“Although murder has decreased in this quarter under review, the numbers remain significantly high and extremely concerning because one death is too many,” Mthombeni said.
Contact crimes decline, but assaults rise
Contact crimes dropped by 1,136 cases, representing a three percent decrease.
However, police remain concerned about increases in attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) and common assault.
Mthombeni warned that these offences can escalate into deadly violence.
"Our biggest concern is that these subcategories are feeders of incidents that lead to murder."
The police commissioner urged Gauteng residents to resolve disputes peacefully rather than resorting to violence.
“We therefore renew our call to the citizens of Gauteng to use amicable solutions to resolve conflict as opposed to resorting to fights and violence.”
Police seize firearms and explosives
The crime-fighting operation also resulted in significant recoveries of weapons and explosives.
Police recovered 589 explosives, many of which Mthombeni said were believed to be linked to cash-in-transit and ATM bombings.
A total of 252 firearms were recovered, including 22 rifles, mostly AK-47s, as well as nine shotguns.
Police also seized 5,981 rounds of ammunition.
Mthombeni said removing the ammunition from circulation could help prevent further loss of life.
“It’s a lot. And if you go each round, if used, it could be the lives of that amount of people. By removing them, it’s a plus on prevention and combating,” he said.
Thousands arrested for assault and drug offences
Among those arrested were 1,641 people for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
More than 6,000 arrests were linked to drug-related crimes, highlighting the continued focus on tackling offences associated with violence and organised criminal activity.
Police also recovered 144 hijacked vehicles, including motorcycles, as well as 26 vehicles allegedly used in the commission of crimes.
Uber Eats delivery bikes becoming targets
Mthombeni also raised concerns about the growing targeting of motorcycles used by food-delivery riders.
“Currently, we have a challenge when it comes to Uber Eats, where motorbikes are used to deliver food. Those have now become a target,” he said.