Over 700 firearms missing, stolen or unaccounted for in Ekurhuleni -armoury audit
14 July 2019
The Democratic Alliance is in possession of the highly sensitive Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) armoury audit report.
The long overdue armoury audit into the EMPD highlights the gross incompetence of the head of the armoury and the shambolic state of affairs within the armoury. It is little wonder why the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has deliberately delayed tabling the report in Council and making it public.
Some of the shocking findings include that out of the CoE 3525 firearms licenses, only 2518 (71.43%) could be accounted for, 382 (10.84%) firearms have been reported missing or stolen, 357 (10.13%) firearms are unaccounted for and 5 LM6 rifles were purchased from a supplier and although the licences were issued, the supplier was liquidated before the rifles could be delivered.
It is outrageous that 739 firearms are stolen, missing or simply unaccounted for.
According to the report, discipline within the EMPD is a huge problem and the following was revealed:
- Various members did not report for the audit. The armoury forwarded the list of names after completion of the audit to different regions and Specialised Services in an attempt to get members to comply. This instruction was ignored;
- No weekly firearm inspection sheets were forwarded to the armoury;
- Lack of communication to the armoury regarding firearm related incidents;
- Employees from other CoE departments are not subjected to the same rules as the EMPD officers in terms of inspections and compulsory competency evaluations as stipulated by legislation;
- The current filing system is inadequate and not user friendly. The armoury is currently busy implementing a new filing system;
- No control over budgetary processes. No money available for holsters, firearm spares and ammunition when required, and
- Firearms reported at various SAPS offices and some firearms might be destroyed.
The questions that have to be asked are, how was the control of the armoury allowed to collapse to such levels and how many of the stolen and missing firearms have been used in crimes against the very people they were meant to protect?
I will be writing to the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele to request his department to conduct a forensic audit into the CoE armoury division and to bring all those responsible for its collapse to book.
Issued by Mike Waters, Lethabong Constituency Head, 14 July 2019
