By Rahim Abdul
Malawi has registered a notable improvement in public safety, with police statistics indicating a reduction in criminal activities across the country in 2025.
Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga revealed that reported criminal cases dropped by six percent, decreasing from 40,037 cases in 2024 to 37,790 in 2025.
He made the disclosure on Wednesday evening at the National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe during an end-of-year ball for senior police officers.
According to Luhanga, the downward trend was more pronounced in violent crimes, a development he described as encouraging. Murder cases declined by three percent, while robbery incidents fell by nine percent, reflecting improved crime prevention and law enforcement efforts.
The Inspector General also reported progress in road safety, noting that road traffic accidents dropped by 11 percent over the same period.
In 2025, the country recorded 3,527 accidents, compared to 3,947 cases in the previous year.
Although fatalities from road accidents decreased slightly from 958 in 2024 to 931 in 2025, Luhanga emphasized that the figure remains worrying and called for continued collaboration between police, road safety authorities and the public to further reduce deaths.
He attributed the overall gains to the commitment and professionalism of police officers nationwide, praising them for making key breakthroughs in detecting and preventing serious crimes.
Luhanga concluded that the improved security situation has helped restore public confidence but stressed that the police service will not relent in its efforts to ensure safer communities across Malawi.