Statement by Yusuf Cassim MPL, DA Shadow MEC for Community Safety:
The latest crime statistics for the first half of the 2025/26 financial year, released today, confirm that while violent crime has shown modest declines, the Eastern Cape remains the most dangerous province in South Africa.
These figures represent the lived reality of families who go to bed fearful, communities that have normalised gunshots in the night, and women who are forced to navigate public spaces with constant vigilance.
The Democratic Alliance believes that residents deserve a province where families feel safe in their homes and children can walk freely in their communities.
The first and second quarter statistics, released this morning, show that 2,128 people were murdered in the province between April and September this year. That is an average of more than eleven lives lost every day. Despite a marginal downward trend, the Eastern Cape still records the highest murder ratio in the country.
This means that a person is still more likely to be murdered here than anywhere else in South Africa.
The rise in sexual offences during the first half of the year, with 1,779 reported cases in the first quarter and a further 1,931 in the second quarter, for a combined total of 3,710 cases in just six months, highlights the lived reality of women and children in our province.
These stats provide a sobering perspective on how widespread gender based violence remains.
You are also still more likely to be raped in the Eastern Cape than anywhere else in South Africa.
As the country observes the 16 Days of Activism campaign, these figures remind us that awareness alone is not enough. Without functional policing, visible enforcement in high-risk areas, and proper investigative follow-through, the cycle of violence continues unchecked and repeat offenders remain free to prey on vulnerable residents.
Kidnappings across the province continue to escalate, with 191 cases in the first quarter and 202 in the second quarter, totalling 393 kidnappings. This growth points to increased coordination by criminal groups and the growing reach of syndicates across the province.
Next week, I will lead the debate on a motion I tabled calling for urgent action to address the surge of kidnappings. We are demanding the establishment of a permanent 24-hour Joint Operations Centre in Nelson Mandela Bay. This centre would bring together the Hawks, SAPS, Metro Police, and the NPA to coordinate real-time intelligence, conduct targeted operations in kidnapping hotspots, and fast-track prosecutions through shared reporting of arrests, enrolled dockets, and convictions.
The motion also proposes a confidential reporting line for residents and businesses, protection for witnesses, and direct engagement with sector bodies to ensure that information flows quickly and safely.
The DA is committed to strengthening policing through a rebuilt detective service, localised crime prevention strategies embedded in communities, and the expansion of intelligence and forensic capacity.
Our residents need a police service that arrives on time, investigates properly, and deters violent criminals before they strike again. The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that delivers, and a future built on dignity, opportunity, and honest government.
