# Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia says crime patterns across South Africa continue to show major regional differences, despite an overall decline in murders. Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape still account for more than 80-percent of murders nationwide. The Eastern Cape has the highest murder rate at 14.3 murders per 100-thousand people, followed by the Western Cape. Cachalia says several police precincts remain persistent crime hotspots:
Four provinces recorded for most murders [SOUND]
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