The latest crime statistics show that the Vhembe region remains one of the safest areas in the country in terms of serious crime, with a 12.7% drop in reported cases. The surge in drug-related crime is, however, worrying, while sexual offences in certain areas remain alarmingly high.
The fourth-quarter crime statistics, covering the first three months of 2026, were released by the South African Police Service (SAPS) last week. In most categories, police stations in the Vhembe area did not feature prominently among the country’s most problematic stations. The only exception was Thohoyandou, which recorded no fewer than four “top 10” mentions.
Thohoyandou retained its position as the police station in the country with the second-highest number of reported sexual offences. During the first three months of the year, 85 cases were reported — exactly the same number as the previous year. Only Inanda, in the eThekwini District, recorded more cases, with 104.
Thohoyandou also recorded a slight drop in reported rape cases, but the 74 cases were still enough to place it second nationally. Inanda again topped the list with 85 reported rape cases.
Another worrying figure was the five arson cases reported in Thohoyandou, placing the station ninth in the country. The station also recorded 53 cases of burglary at non-residential premises — the eighth-highest number nationally — although this was 37 fewer cases than the previous year.
Are the drug lords moving north?
Drug-related crimes in Vhembe showed a steep increase, with 326 cases opened this year compared to 272 the previous year. In 2022, the figure stood at 141. Most of the cases (62) were reported at the northern border in Musina.
At Waterval, 45 drug-related cases were reported, almost double the 23 cases recorded the previous year. Saselamani recorded 24 cases, Makhado 21, while Vuwani increased from 23 cases in 2025 to 34 this year.
As far as the overall crime situation is concerned, Thohoyandou remains the busiest police station in the region, with 4,135 criminal cases reported. This is, however, 17.2% lower than the previous year’s 4,993 cases. Musina is second with 1,300 cases, slightly higher than the previous year’s 1,251 cases. Waterval remains problematic, with 1,161 cases — 15.4% more than the previous year.
The Vhembe region recorded declines in several categories of crime. Burglary at residential premises dropped sharply by 30.6%. During the first three months of the year, 461 such cases were reported compared to 664 during the same period the previous year. Burglary at non-residential premises also declined, dropping by 17.8% to 278 cases.
The number of murder cases decreased from 39 to 32, representing a welcome 17.9% decline. Most murders occurred in Vuwani (8), while Thohoyandou (7) and Malamulele (5) also contributed significantly to the total. Attempted murder cases also declined slightly, from 85 to 78.
But sexual offences remain a problem
As far as sexual offences are concerned, Thohoyandou remains in a league of its own, consistently recording between 163 and 200 cases per quarter. This figure includes rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences. In the fourth quarter, the figure stood at 170, showing little meaningful improvement over previous years.
Waterval displayed the most alarming trend, with sexual offence cases rising from 28 in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 53 in the fourth quarter of 2026 — an 89% increase over four years. Vuwani peaked at 74 cases in the fourth quarter of 2025 before dropping to 41 in the fourth quarter of 2026, but this remains well above the 2022 baseline.
Siloam recorded the sharpest single-year increase, rising from 20 cases in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 42 cases in the fourth quarter of 2026 — a 110% increase.
Malamulele, however, stands out as a success story. From 123 cases in 2022, the figure dropped to 34 in the final quarter of 2026, representing a 72% reduction.
Overall picture improving
The overall picture has improved on most fronts, although important concerns remain. Sexual offences continue to be the region’s — and specifically Thohoyandou’s — most serious and persistent problem.
The most notable improvements are in violent crime. Attempted murder dropped sharply from 28 cases in the third quarter of 2025 to 16 in the fourth quarter of 2026. Contact crimes declined from 710 to 622, while common assault dropped from 257 to 213 when comparing the third and fourth quarters.
At district level, Siloam and Waterval are the two stations that moved in the wrong direction regarding sexual offences during the past quarter. Siloam’s figures doubled from 20 to 42 total sexual offences, while Waterval has shown a steady increase.
Thohoyandou recorded zero cases in the category “sexual offences detected as a result of police action”, raising several questions. Other police stations in the province, such as Tzaneen (91 cases) and Maake (55 cases), lead in this category, reflecting a very different enforcement approach.
In Vhembe 557 sexual offences were reported, but less than 10% (51) were because of police action. Waterval seems to have been the most successful in this regard, where police action led to 17 cases being investigated.