KZN records 166 deaths from police action, highest in SA
DURBAN — KwaZulu-Natal has again recorded the highest number of deaths resulting from police action in South Africa, with 166 cases investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate during the 2025/26 financial year.
The province accounted for almost four in every 10 of the 426 deaths resulting from police action recorded nationally, according to IPID’s latest annual report. Gauteng followed with 89 cases, while the Eastern Cape recorded 51 and the Western Cape 37. (ewn.co.za)
KwaZulu-Natal also recorded the country’s highest number during the previous financial year, when 164 of the 394 cases nationally occurred in the province.
The figures come amid sustained attention on the number of police operations in KZN that have ended in fatal shootouts with suspected criminals.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has previously defended officers who use deadly force when confronted by armed suspects, saying police are expected to protect themselves when their lives are threatened.
IPID’s figures do not mean that officers acted unlawfully in all 166 cases. Deaths resulting from police action are investigated by the watchdog to determine the circumstances of each incident and whether there is evidence requiring criminal prosecution or disciplinary action.
The Directorate received 5,653 new cases nationally during 2025/26, covering allegations including deaths in police custody, deaths resulting from police action, assault, torture and rape involving police officers.
The continued concentration of police-action deaths in KwaZulu-Natal places additional attention on the outcomes of IPID investigations and whether the province’s high number reflects the nature of violent confrontations faced by officers or cases in which police conduct requires further action.
IPID can recommend disciplinary measures or refer evidence for prosecution, although decisions on criminal prosecution ultimately rest with the National Prosecuting Authority.
KwaZulu-Natal’s total increased from 164 to 166 in a year when the national figure rose from 394 to 426, leaving the province with the highest number for a second consecutive reporting period.
Anyone with additional information can contact the press desk at press@townpress.co.za or drop a tip on our annonymous platform https://tips.townpress.co.za/