A total of 26 people were killed in domestic violence and love triangles in Gauteng between July and September this year. 

This was revealed by the Gauteng acting provincial police commissioner, Maj-Gen Patricia Rampota, as she presented the second quarterly crime statistics to the provincial legislature portfolio committee on community safety on Tuesday. 

Rampota said murders in the province decreased by 10.1% during the period under review compared to the previous quarter last year, a decrease from 1,214 to 1,091 this year. 

“However, Tshwane was the only region that registered an increase from 172 murders to 205,” she said. 

Rampota said arguments and misunderstanding contributed to more than 143 cases in the province. 

“Seventy-six murders were related to robberies, 43 to mob justice and vigilantism, 26 to domestic violence and love triangles. There were 18 taxi-related murders and 13 connected to illicit mining,” Rampota said. 

She said there were seven incidents that consisted of multiple murders in Gauteng. 

“Five people were killed in Bekkersdal due to faction fighting in the IPHC church; in Wedela four people were shot at Kusasalethu Screening Plant, the motive is unknown; three people in Florida were found decomposing; three people were found in a dumping site in Kliptown; three people were found buried in a backyard in Olievenhoutbosch in what is believed to be muthi-related murder; and a mother and her two children were found buried in a backyard in Protea Glen (Soweto) in what is believed to be a domestic violence-related incident,” she said.

Rampota said other noteworthy murders included the murders of 14 women and one farm murder.