Criminals Benefit As 1,800 State Entity Firearms Are Lost or Stolen Every Year, Mzansi Not Surprised
- A recent report revealed that numerous firearms belonging to the SAPS or SANDF are lost or stolen each year
- South African Police Service members report missing firearms, but those from the defence force don't
- South Africans don't believe the firearms were lost or stolen but instead sold to criminals by law enforcement officers
Source: Getty Images
Approximately 1,800 firearms belonging to state entities are lost or stolen every year.
That’s according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, which added that these guns end up in the hands of criminals.
Speaking during an Institute for Security Studies (ISS) seminar, researcher Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane presented the facts, stating that SAPS and the South African National Defence Force owned less than 30% of the total number of state-owned firearms.
SAPS report missing guns, SANDF doesn’t
Irish-Qhobosheane also added that the SAPS is the only state entity that reports missing firearms.
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The SANDF and other state entities are supposed to report firearm losses and thefts to the Central Firearms Registry but simply don’t.
Having researched the losses between 2003 and 2013, she noted that the total loss of firearms was 18,000 over those 10 years.
Citizen firearms are recovered easier
The research also found that firearms stolen from civilians were recovered more easily than those lost or stolen from law enforcement officials.
Between 2012 and 2023, 63,500 licensed civilian firearms were lost or stolen, but 60% of those were recovered. During the same period, 30,000 police-issued firearms were reported lost or stolen, but the recovery rate was much lower.
South Africans aren’t surprised
Social media users were unsurprised by the news but clarified that the weapons were sold and not “lost or stolen.”
Fanie Potgieter said:
“Selling, not losing.”
Chris Shabangu added:
“They are not serious about this situation, anyone who loses his gun must pay. This thing can stop significantly.”
@Rrasel_ said:
“They aren't losing them. They are giving them away, for a small fee, of course.”
@everyzaday added:
“We all know police and soldiers sell/rent their weapons to criminals. Confiscated and weapons handed in to police are not destroyed, they are sold as well. We know this happens. It’s not 'losing'. Its criminality.”
@mheidtman stated:
“Selling… not losing.”
Men arrested with rifle from SANDF
In a related article, Briefly News noted that SAPS arrested five men who are suspected to be involved in territorial feuds.
The men were found in possession of a rifle and clothing belonging to the South African National Defence Force.
An 18-year-old was also among those arrested, leaving South Africans concerned about the youth of today.
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Source: Briefly News
