Firearms still drive Western Cape murders

Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi says firearms are still the weapon of choice in most murder-related cases in the province.

Dyantyi and the provincial police top brass briefed the media in Cape Town today during the release of the provincial quarterly crime statistics for the 2026/2027 financial year, covering April to June.

About 610 illegal firearms were recovered during the three-month period. The province has, however, recorded a 6.7% decrease in the murder rate, down from 1 140 cases in April to June 2025 to 1 071 cases in the same period this financial year.

Dyantyi says 62% of the murders occurred in the Cape Town Metro.

“The weapon of choice remains the firearm for the commission of violence and violent crime. Ours is to rid the community of illegal firearms and ammunition through a targeted approach, executing covert and and intelligent-driven operation, which is going to be the order of the day as we constantly target illegal firearms and ammunition,” Dyantyi says.

#sapsWC [HAPPENING NOW: WESTERN CAPE RECORDS PROMISING REDUCTIONS IN SERIOUS CRIME]

The Western Cape recorded encouraging reductions in a number of serious and violent crime categories during the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year.

The figures were released and… pic.twitter.com/TNHZgRGpau

— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) September 15, 2026