SAPS destroys 263 545 firearms over past five years

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The South African Police Service (SAPS) says that over the past five years, it has destroyed a staggering 263 545 firearms.

This is part of SAPS’s campaign to detect and permanently remove illegal firearms and ammunition from circulation.

This week alone, 14 595 firearms and firearm parts were destroyed in a destruction process held in Vanderbijlpark. The destroyed firearms included 11 421 handguns, 1 708 rifles, 1 205 shotguns, and 28 combination firearms.

These weapons were seized during policing operations such as Operation Shanela and subsequently forfeited to the state. Additionally, the destroyed firearms included those surrendered voluntarily and those handed in during the Amnesty period.

The breakdown of firearms destroyed this week per province is as follows:

• Eastern Cape: 1,834
• Free State: 836
• Gauteng: 4,676
• KwaZulu-Natal: 1,600
• Limpopo: 989
• Mpumalanga: 664
• Northern Cape: 433
• North West: 446
• Western Cape: 3,117

In February this year, 18 077 firearms and firearm parts were also destroyed.

Since 2019, SAPS has methodically removed hundreds of thousands of illegal firearms from circulation, significantly impacting public safety.

All firearms with working mechanisms were subjected to Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) testing to determine if they had been used in any criminal activities.

General Fannie Masemola, the National Commissioner of SAPS, emphasized the importance of these operations.

“The SAPS will continue to intensify its efforts to detect and remove illegal firearms and ammunition from the streets of South Africa, as they pose a threat to the safety and security of the inhabitants of this country. Firearms are the most preferred weapon of choice when crimes such as murders are committed, and that is why it is pivotal that we double our efforts in removing those that are illegal out of circulation.”

#sapsHQ [GUNS DESTRUCTION] #SAPS remains relentless in its efforts to detect and permanently remove illegal firearms and ammunition in circulation.

This week, 14 595 firearms AND firearm parts were destroyed during a destruction process in Vanderbijlpark; 11 421 of those… pic.twitter.com/LNv9Nl0jgq

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) July 12, 2024