Central SA
Free State attempted murder stats increase by 9.3% in 2024 third quarter─── ZENANDE MPAME 08:59 Sat, 22 Feb 2025
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The Free State recorded the highest attempted murder increase in the country, covering the period from 1 October to 31 December 2024.
The minister of police, Senzo Mchunu, released the crime statistics for the third quarter of 2024 at the Government Communication Information System offices in Pretoria on Friday (21/2).
A total of 6,953 murders were recorded in the period which indicated a 9.8% decrease in the whole country. Firearms remain the weapon of choice in murder cases with 2,886 reported cases where people were killed.
“The statistics we present today show a significant shift in our national crime landscape,” said Mchunu. “We have observed an overall decrease in several crime categories compared to the same period in the previous year.”
“Rape cases have increased in the Free State, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal whereas other provinces have recorded decreases. This serves as a stark reminder that gender-based violence remains a critical issue requiring intensified interventions.”
The statistics reveal most murders in the Free State are from arguments, misunderstandings, road rage, and provocation. The Free State was also named in the top 30 stations for attempted murder in the country and the Free State is at position nine in Bothaville, 18 in Thabong, and 24 in Odendaalsrus nationally.
The most frequently used instruments in attempted murder in the province are firearms, knives, sharp instruments, bottles, blunt instruments, and body parts, and the least used are vehicles.
The Free State recorded almost half of the national murders recorded in farming communities, this includes two farm workers, one farmer, one farm dweller, and one security personnel.
“We have also registered a 4.5% reduction in stock theft, which is a welcome relief for farmers, communities, and the agricultural sector,” said Mchunu. “We note the outcry of communities that farm livestock, particularly in the eastern Free State.”
“These reductions indicate the strategies and interventions we have implemented are yielding results, he said.
OFM News/Zenande Mpame dg