Dear Editor
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced that the first quarter crime statistics for 2025/26 will finally be released this Friday. These statistics are long overdue and highlight the ongoing collapse of SAPS, both in accountability and operational capacity.
The DA has consistently raised concerns about the exclusion of crimes against women and children from national crime statistics. Without this data, government and civil society cannot track progress, allocate resources, or respond effectively to protect our most vulnerable.
The lives of women and children are at stake, and every omission erases their reality.
Ahead of Friday’s release, the DA reiterates our demand that SAPS include full and accurate data on gender-based violence (GBV) and crimes against children. Anything less would be a failure of transparency and accountability in a country facing a GBV and child crime crisis.
South Africans deserve the full picture of crime in their communities.
The DA will monitor Friday’s release closely. Partial reporting or attempts to obscure the experiences of women and children will not be accepted.
SAPS must provide complete disclosure and explain the reasons for previous delays and omissions. Transparency in crime reporting is both a legal duty and a moral imperative.
South Africans cannot continue to wait while criminals act with impunity. The DA calls on SAPS to finally provide comprehensive crime data, with no exceptions, no omissions, and no excuses.
Regards
Lisa Schickerling MP
DA Spokesperson on Police