Murder falls 20% in five years, but assault crimes grip South Africa's first quarter

Common assault and assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm have consistently been the most prevalent contact crimes across every April–June quarter from 2022 to 2026, each exceeding 60 incidents per 100 000 people. But the period's clearest bright spot is murder: its rate has fallen steadily from 10.6 in 2022 to 8.5 in 2026, a 20% reduction — the sharpest proportional decline of any category. Attempted murder, however, has moved in the opposite direction, rising from 9.2 to 10.9 per 100 000 over the same five years, suggesting that lethal intent in violent encounters has not disappeared — only the outcomes have, partly, improved.