AfriForum and Solidarity direct new application for figures of stolen and lost state firearms

18 May 2015

AfriForum and the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) will this week direct a new application to the South African Police Service (SAPS) with regards to the number of stolen or lost state-registered firearms since 2009. The application also requests figures of the private firearms that were handed in during the last amnesty period in 2009.

“The state increasingly acts strict and unfairly against legal firearm owners, while firearms belonging to the SAPS, the SANDF and other law enforcement authorities are frequently found in the possession of criminals. We would like to find out by means of a proper investigation what the magnitude is concerning the loss of weapons from state possession, especially with regards to the SAPS,” said Ian Cameron, head of community safety at AfriForum.

Cameron says the necessity to launch an investigation into the carefulness, whether or not, with which the SAPS and other state organisations handle firearms, was once again displayed by the firearms discoveries in Johannesburg in May 2014. At this occasion in Norwood, Johannesburg more than 122 attack weapons, hand weapons, commercial explosive devices and exploders were found in the hands of alleged criminals. A lot of these weapons were state-registered.

“General Riah Phiyega must rather ensure that criminals and corrupt officials are punished, instead of allowing members of the public to be hampered with bureaucratic red tape and unnecessary firearm regulation when trying to keep themselves safe,” concluded Cameron.

Statement issued by Ian Cameron, Head: Community Safety, AfriForum, May 18 2015