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ActionSA expresses deep concern over the ongoing delay in the release of South Africa’s crime statistics for the first quarter (Q1) of the 2025/26 financial year. These figures were due at the end of August 2025, the same period in which SAPS released last year’s data, raising the obvious question: What is the reason for the delay this time?

This latest failure comes amid deepening turmoil within the Police Ministry, marked by uncertainty over the acting Minister’s authority, a leadership vacuum at the top of SAPS, and ongoing investigations by the Ad Hoc Committee into governance failures within the Ministry. Together, these developments paint a picture of a police service in crisis, one that appears to have lost focus on its constitutional duty to protect and inform the public.

At a time when violent crime continues to terrorise communities across South Africa, this lack of transparency and accountability is unacceptable. Crime statistics are not merely data points, they are essential tools for policy decisions, public oversight, and rebuilding the trust of a nation living in fear.

ActionSA calls for the immediate release of the outstanding quarterly crime statistics, accompanied by a full and public explanation for the delay. We further call for strong parliamentary oversight to ensure that those responsible for these recurring failures are held accountable.

Year after year, South Africans are promised a more transparent and accountable police service. Yet what we continue to witness is instability, excuses, and a persistent disregard for the public’s right to know. It is time for the leadership of SAPS and the Police Ministry to stop hiding behind bureaucracy and face the people they are meant to serve.

Issued by ActionSA Member of Parliament  Dereleen James