This is part of SAPS’s campaign to detect and permanently remove illegal firearms and ammunition from circulation.
This week alone, 14 595 firearms and firearm parts were destroyed in a destruction process held in Vanderbijlpark. The destroyed firearms included 11 421 handguns, 1 708 rifles, 1 205 shotguns, and 28 combination firearms.
These weapons were seized during policing operations such as Operation Shanela and subsequently forfeited to the state. Additionally, the destroyed firearms included those surrendered voluntarily and those handed in during the Amnesty period.
The breakdown of firearms destroyed this week per province is as follows:
Eastern Cape: 1,834
Free State: 836
Gauteng: 4,676
KwaZulu-Natal: 1,600
Limpopo: 989
Mpumalanga: 664
Northern Cape: 433
North West: 446
Western Cape: 3,117
In February this year, 18 077 firearms and firearm parts were also destroyed.
Since 2019, SAPS has methodically removed hundreds of thousands of illegal firearms from circulation, significantly impacting public safety.
All firearms with working mechanisms were subjected to Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) testing to determine if they had been used in any criminal activities.
General Fannie Masemola, the National Commissioner of SAPS, emphasised the importance of these operations.
“The SAPS will continue to intensify its efforts to detect and remove illegal firearms and ammunition from the streets of South Africa, as they pose a threat to the safety and security of the inhabitants of this country. Firearms are the most preferred weapon of choice when crimes such as murders are committed, and that is why it is pivotal that we double our efforts in removing those that are illegal out of circulation.”
--SABC--
#sapsHQ [GUNS DESTRUCTION] #SAPS remains relentless in its efforts to detect and permanently remove illegal firearms and ammunition in circulation.
— SA Police Service ð¿ð¦ (@SAPoliceService) July 12, 2024
This week, 14 595 firearms AND firearm parts were destroyed during a destruction process in Vanderbijlpark; 11 421 of those… pic.twitter.com/LNv9Nl0jgq
