Limpopo’s top police official has released the provincial crime statistics for the third quarter of 2025, revealing a worrying increase in murder cases even as most other categories of crime showed a decline.
Limpopo Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, presented the figures in Polokwane on Tuesday, covering the period from October to December 2025. She was joined by several district commissioners and the MEC for Community Safety, Violet Mathye.
The statistics show that murder cases in the province increased by 5.9%, with 215 cases recorded compared to 203 during the same period in 2024. While acknowledging the increase as a concern, Lt Gen Hadebe pointed to specific factors behind the rise, notably incidents of mob justice and assault cases where victims later succumbed to their injuries.
“Our analysis of the murder cases in the province, it appeared that several of these cases emanated from assault incidents in which victims later succumbed to injuries while receiving medical treatment,” Lt Gen Hadebe explained. “Meanwhile, incidents of mob justice also contributed to this particular rise. This rise in mob justice could have been avoided, which is a troubling threat that remains a thorn on our flesh.”
She called for a collective effort to address the issue, urging communities to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and emphasizing the need for education, accountability, and swift justice.
Despite the uptick in murders, Lt Gen Hadebe stressed that contact crimes overall continued a downward trend. Other serious categories, including sexual offenses, attempted murder, and common assault, saw a collective decrease of over 1,300 cases, dropping from more than 11,700 cases in the third quarter of 2024 to just over 10,300 in 2025.
Sexual offenses specifically decreased by 5.8%, with notable declines in attempted sexual assault and contact sexual assault, although the subcategory of sexual assault saw a marginal increase of three cases.
Robberies also showed significant improvement. Robbery with aggravating circumstances fell by 20.2%, while cash-in-transit heists were down by 18 cases. Robberies at residential and non-residential premises decreased by 16.9% and 32.1%, respectively.
The provincial crime registrar highlighted that hospital stations, including Polokwane, Mankweng, and Thohoyandou, recorded a high number of cases. In terms of overall crime contribution, Polokwane led the province with approximately 1,400 cases reported, followed by Mankweng with 1,380, Thohoyandou with 1,329, and Seshego with 1,327.
Community Safety MEC Violet Mathye expressed regret over the murder increase, noting that the additional 12 deaths mean Limpopo has contributed significantly to the national murder statistics. “As a rural province, sexual offenses are a common occurrence. However, as for this quarter, it is quite pleasing that we have once more recorded a decline which can be attributed to a lot of factors,” MEC Mathye said.
During the briefing, Lt Gen Hadebe also highlighted significant convictions secured during the period. She commended the National Prosecuting Authority after the Giyani High Court sentenced a serial rapist to a combined 151 years imprisonment for multiple counts of rape, attempted murder, robbery, and housebreaking committed between 2015 and 2024 in the Sekhukhune District.
Furthermore, she noted the case of a 28-year-old convicted rapist who was sentenced to life imprisonment, plus an additional three years, for the rape of a 101-year-old woman in July 2024.