JOHANNESBURG - Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee said the third quarter crime stats offer nothing to celebrate.
Murder and violent crimes continue to show a decline in the third quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year.
A total of 602 fewer lives were lost in the period under review, which is a decrease of 8.7%.
On contact crime, there was also a decrease in the third quarter of 6,7% or 12 682 fewer cases reported to the SAPS when compared to the same quarter the previous year.
Ian Cameron from the Portfolio Committee on Police said while the 600 less people being murdered was notable, the reality remained bleak.
"It remains war zone like figures. Over 70 murders per day, that's close to three people murdered per hour. We can not accept this as a norm in the country," Cameron said.
The Institute for Security Studies has welcomed the decrease in the murder rate.
But it stresses that the fight against the scourge requires further effort.