DA calls for national firearms audit of all SAPS stations
13 August 2021
The DA calls on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to institute a national firearms audit of all police stations across the country. This follows reports that guns from the Norwood police station in Johannesburg found their way into the hands of a gang who killed a police officer.
The police have indicated it’s intention to conduct an audit of the Norwood SAPS 13 evidence locker. The DA is, however, calling for a national firearms audit of all SAPS 13 evidence lockers as well as an audit of official SAPS firearms. This audit must be vetted by the Auditor General given that many SAPS members have been complicit in the loss or theft of firearms. The national firearms audit is key to putting an end to the circulation of illegal firearms at the hands of the SAPS.
The theft of police firearms at Norwood is unfortunately not the exception. At least 3 police stations have been hit by criminals in the past 4 months and firearms stolen. Many more police statins have been targeted for firearms in the past and very few of these firearms are ever recovered.
SAPS reports that, on average, approximately 700 official SAPS firearms are lost and/or stolen every year. However, the Auditor-General has found that SAPS understates the numbers of lost and/or stolen firearms and also understates the number of these firearms which have been recovered.