Couple of million unlawful firearms circulating in S-Africa
(MENAFN) South African opposition party Rise Mzansi has warned that roughly two million illegal firearms are circulating in the country, posing a major public safety risk. The party criticised the South African Police Service (SAPS) for failing to track specific firearm makes used in crimes, limiting the effectiveness of crime analysis and enforcement efforts.
The Minister of Police revealed in a parliamentary reply that SAPS’s Enhanced Firearms Register System (EFRS) only records firearm types—handguns, shotguns, or rifles—but not makes such as AK-47s, Norincos, or AKMs, which have been linked to violent crimes including cash-in-transit heists, political killings, and mass shootings.
Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana said the absence of detailed firearm data hampers the ability to trace and remove illegal weapons from communities. He called for improved crime intelligence, expanded national firearms amnesties, an anonymous tip-off reward system, and strict penalties for those involved in illegal arms trading.
Gana also expressed concern over police officers implicated in the theft and resale of confiscated firearms. Between October 2023 and March 2024, SAPS reported losing or having stolen 371 firearms and over 29,000 rounds of ammunition. Rise Mzansi plans to address the issue at the next National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Police meeting.
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