SAPS missing firearms: Minister of Police should back up his statements

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the announcement from the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, that members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) who lose their firearms will be dismissed. If actually enforced, this is a positive move that would hopefully go some way toward combating the large traffic of illegal firearms plaguing South Africa, one of the major contributors to crime in this country.

When Parliament reconvenes in the New Year, I shall request that the chairperson of the Police Portfolio Committee summon Minister Mthethwa to Parliament to explain whether there are any new regulations that are to be introduced, how they will be enforced and indeed if there is actually any plan to give substance to this statement.

Unfortunately, the problem of SAPS officers losing their firearms is neither new nor insignificant. In October, National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele told the Police Portfolio Committee that 3 226 SAPS firearms had been lost or stolen during 2009/2010, representing a 17% increase in the total number of lost or stolen weapons compared with 2 759 in 2008/2009.

This was also a 240% increase in the number of lost or stolen weapons since 2001. Indeed, information revealed from a sequence of DA questions has revealed that over the past 5 years, a total of 13 438 firearms have been lost by the SAPS.

Earlier this year, in response to one of my questions in Parliament, the Minister of Police stated that just 26 SAPS employees were charged in terms of the SAPS Discipline Regulations in 2009/2010. Of these, only 18 officers were found guilty. This means that in less than 1% of cases of loss or theft were any charges brought.

Even more concerning is that just 26 SAPS employees were charged when 2 603 firearms were lost. This means that only one in every 100 firearms that are lost results in any form of charge. Even fewer result in convictions. In 2009/10, 275 firearms were recovered, which is just over 10% of the  total number lost or stolen in the same period. The rest of the firearms are still out there.

The minister is right to begin to tackle this problem. However, the scale of gun crime in South Africa and the seriousness thereof, especially where police officers are contributing to the problem, deserves a considered and formal action plan. We hope to see evidence of precisely that.

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard, MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Police, December 7 2010

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