IEC outlines Western Cape readiness for 2026 municipal elections
The Western Cape IEC says preparations are on track for the November 4 municipal elections, while outlining voting-district rules, special-vote applications and security planning.
The latest crime statistics from the Western Cape province reveal a 6.7 percent decline in murders during the second quarter of the financial year 2026/2027. The number of murders dropped from 1,140 cases in April to June 2025 to 1,071 incidents in the same period this year. Western Cape Police Commissioner Sizakhele Dyantyi attributes this decrease to ongoing efforts to combat illegal firearms.
According to Dyantyi, firearms continue to be the primary weapon used in most murder cases in the province. In the three-month period, authorities recovered 610 illegal firearms. Dyantyi emphasized that 62 percent of the murders occur in the Cape Town Metro area. He stated that the police's strategy involves targeting illegal firearms and ammunition through covert and intelligent operations.
The Western Cape has demonstrated promising reductions in other serious and violent crime categories as well during the first quarter of the current financial year.
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