Police report lower overall contact crime, warn of firearm-driven violence
Police in the Eastern Cape say contact crimes declined in the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, but officials warned that the nature of violence – particularly incidents involving firearms and sexual offences – continues to cause concern.
At a briefing in Dimbaza, just outside Qonce, Police Provincial Commissioner Vuyisile Ncata announced the total number of contact crimes for the quarter ending in June had fallen to around 14 000, down from just over 15 000 in the same quarter the previous year.
While welcoming the decline, Ncata emphasised the persistent problem posed by firearms. According to figures he provided, there were 369 murder cases and 321 attempted murder cases attributed to the use of firearms in the quarter.
“I think and believe that we can do more because the firearms are a weapon of choice. Almost all the crimes are happening here… the robberies, the firearms, the weapon of choice,”
Ncata noted that police have recovered a substantial number of firearms and ammunition during operations. He also said that many of the firearms recovered were stolen rifles and shotguns, suggesting theft and illegal distribution as drivers of firearm availability.
Sexual offences and alcohol cited as aggravating factors
Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqata expressed particular alarm at a rise in sexual offences. He linked a portion of these incidents to alcohol use and the fact that many are committed within households or between people who know each other, complicating detection and prosecution.
“It has got to do with alcohol. Alcohol is a kind of the in-between factor. And some of the crimes are committed, are not policeable, because some are taking place between people who know each other, in households,” Nqata said, stressing the need for stronger community cooperation to secure convictions that could deter future offenders.
What the numbers show
The provincial leadership framed the modest decline in overall contact crime as evidence of visible policing and operational effort on the ground. However, the detailed breakdown provided at the briefing points to serious challenges in specific categories of violence.
- Overall contact crime: down from just over 15 000 to about 14 000 year‑on‑year for the June quarter.
- Firearm-related murders: 369 cases recorded in the quarter.
- Firearm-related attempted murders: 321 cases recorded in the quarter.
- Sexual offences: described by the MEC as increasing, with alcohol and household dynamics highlighted as contributing factors.
| Category | Quarter ending June (2026) |
|---|---|
| Contact crimes (total) | ~14 000 |
| Contact crimes (same quarter previous year) | >15 000 |
| Firearm-related murders | 369 |
| Firearm-related attempted murders | 321 |
Operational focus and community role
Ncata attributed the overall reduction to the work of police on the ground and highlighted recent recoveries of weapons as signs of active policing. Yet he acknowledged that more needs to be done to curb firearm use in crime.
The provincial leadership called for closer cooperation between communities and police, particularly on matters of sexual offences and domestic violence where underreporting and private contexts can make investigations difficult. The MEC urged communities to support prosecution efforts so that successful convictions can serve as a deterrent.
Police did not provide a further breakdown by district or metro at the Dimbaza briefing. Localised trends – for example, where firearm thefts are concentrated or which areas report rising sexual offences – were not released, limiting immediate analysis of policing priorities at ward or municipal level.
Implications for the province
The statistics point to a mixed picture: a modest fall in overall contact crime but ongoing, and in some cases intensifying, threats in particular categories. For residents and municipal officials the immediate concerns are practical:
- How to reduce the availability of illegal firearms and secure lawful stock to prevent thefts.
- How to strengthen prevention and support services for victims of sexual offences, including addressing alcohol-related harm.
- How to ensure local policing deployments match the hotspots for violent crime.
Further detail from provincial SAPS or district commands would be required to assess whether specific interventions – from targeted arrests and firearm amnesties to expanded victim support and alcohol-harm reduction measures – are being rolled out where they are most needed.
For now, the message from provincial officials is clear: the headline of falling contact crime masks persistent and dangerous trends in firearm violence and sexual offences that demand targeted action and greater cooperation from communities across the Eastern Cape.
