Published – 18:09, December 05, 2025
By Thabelo Ramulifho
Limpopo – Limpopo Provincial Crime Statistics: 1st and 2nd Quarter of the 2025/2026 Financial Year (1 April – 30 September 2025)
Limpopo’s MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Ms Violet Mathye, and Provincial Commissioner, Lit-General Thembi Radebe presented the province’s official crime statistics for the first two quarters of the 2025/2026 financial year. The briefing highlighted decisive strides made in combating serious and violent crimes and outlined the safety measures that were being implemented to protect residents, visitors and the business community during the festive season and beyond.
The latest provincial crime figures reflected encouraging progress in enhancing safety across Limpopo. Most major crime categories recorded notable declines, although sexual offences remained a significant concern that demanded urgent attention.
Key trends and overall declines (Q1 & Q2 2025/2026)
Limpopo experienced overall reductions in three major crime categories: contact crimes, property crimes and commercial crimes.
- Contact crimes (crimes against persons) fell by 5.4 % in the second quarter. The murder rate dropped by an impressive 20.2 % in the second quarter, translating to 49 fewer cases and bringing the provincial per‑capita murder rate to 3.2 per 100 000, positioning Limpopo among the safest provinces. Attempted murder decreased by 5.2 % in the second quarter, largely due to sustained police visibility operations and community awareness initiatives. Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) fell by 7.1 % and common assault declined by 2.4 %.
- Robbery and property crimes also showed improvement. Robbery with aggravating circumstances decreased by 14.5 % in the second quarter, and carjacking was reduced by 34 cases. Property crime recorded an overall decline across both quarters.
- Sexual offences rose by 7.1 % in the second quarter, mirroring national patterns. Gender‑based violence (GBV) remained a critical challenge, with domestic violence flagged as one of the most difficult crimes to police because of its concealed nature.
Justice and conviction successes
The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units achieved significant breakthroughs during the reporting period. Seven accused received a combined 14 life sentences across eight cases involving rape and murder, and five perpetrators were sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for rape and attempted rape. Additional offenders received sentences ranging from two to 20 years.
Crime‑fighting strategy and operational successes
The encouraging results were linked to the rollout of the multi‑disciplinary, high‑density Operation Shanela (Kukula) 2, which focused on intelligence‑led policing, targeted roadblocks and high‑visibility patrols. Key operational highlights included:
- A major drug bust near the Mooketsi Weighbridge, where police intercepted a vehicle and seized 851.85 kg of compressed dagga valued at R8 million.
- A counterfeit‑goods crackdown in Burgersfort, in which a multi‑disciplinary team confiscated counterfeit goods worth over R20 million after raiding more than ten shops.
- The recovery of a stolen Nissan Patrol V8 valued at R2.5 million along the N1 near Polokwane en route to the Beitbridge border.
Limpopo SAPS reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying high‑visibility patrols and conducting consistent operations to enforce liquor compliance and target drug dens—key contributors to rising GBV‑related cases.
The province continued to prioritize safety as the festive season approached, urging residents and visitors alike to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.