Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on the senior leadership of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to ensure that the crime statistics being released Friday, 28 November, are accurate, verified, and complete. We also repeat our call for it to include long-excluded figures on gender-based violence (GBV) and crimes against children.
These Q1 2025/26 statistics are more than four months overdue, a delay that has left Parliament and the public in the dark about the true state of crime in South Africa.
The late release follows damning findings from the Auditor-General, who flagged serious discrepancies and unverifiable data across SAPS reporting systems, from inflated arrest “success rates” to unreliable firearm recovery figures.
This lack of accuracy and transparency raises the question: what is SAPS trying to hide?
South Africans deserve the full truth about crime in their communities, not half-baked numbers or selective reporting designed to save face.
At a time when violent crime is soaring and public confidence in the police is collapsing, the integrity of crime data is non-negotiable.
The DA demands that the National Commissioner and Acting Minister of Police:
- Confirm that all statistics being released have undergone independent internal verification.
- Explain to Parliament why the release was delayed and what corrective action is being taken in response to the Auditor-General’s findings.
- Include comprehensive, disaggregated data on GBV and crimes against children, with no omissions or excuses.
Without full and credible data, there can be no effective crime-fighting strategy, no accountability, and no progress in protecting South Africans, especially women and children.
The DA will closely scrutinise Friday’s release and will not allow SAPS to hide behind flawed figures or empty promises.
Regards
Lisa Schickerling MP
DA Spokesperson on Police