3 years ago
7
ARTICLE AD BOX
No illegal firearms have been destroyed in the Western Cape this year.
- Concerns have been raised in the Western Cape about delays in the destruction of illegal firearms confiscated by the police.
- This after it emerged the police failed to destroy a single illegal firearm in the province in the first quarter of 2023.
- Nearly 700 firearms have been confiscated by the police thus far.
The City of Cape Town has expressed concerns about apparent delays in the destruction of illegal firearms confiscated by the police.
This after it emerged the police failed to destroy a single confiscated illegal firearm in the Western Cape in the first quarter of 2023.
In a recent provincial legislature question posed to Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen, DA MPL Gillion Bosman wanted to know how many firearms were confiscated by the police in the first quarter of this year and how many had been destroyed.
In his response, Allen said 699 unlawful firearms had been confiscated, but none were destroyed.
The City's mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, stated the information was cause for alarm, "and one needs to ask whether the delay in the destruction of illegal firearms is due to cases not being concluded by the courts or some other reason".
"The destruction of illegal firearms is a centralised process, which the local police have no control over, as these weapons have to be transported to Pretoria."
He added:
This increases the risk of firearms going missing in transit or that they may be illegally sold or placed in the hands of the criminals, which many of these firearms were seized from, as we know was previously happening due to the actions of now-disgraced members within SAPS.
The DA-led provincial government has called for a dedicated site to be established in the Western Cape where firearms can be destroyed.
According to the province, firearms confiscated by the police, which fall into the hands of criminals, posed a risk to communities.
Currently, all illegal firearms confiscated by the police are sent to Gauteng on a bi-annual basis to be destroyed.
Smith said his concern was there is no way for the public to be sure such illegal practices were not continuing or that the police officer who was convicted was acting alone or took the fall on behalf of others.
"Destroying these illegal firearms ensures that dangerous weapons being taken off our streets do end up in the smelter where they belong," he added.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said confiscated firearms were subjected to a criminal and a forensic investigation, which, depending on the circumstances, could be a lengthy process.
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"Once the police investigation and due processes - which can also include a court procedure - have been concluded, a confiscated firearm is forfeited to the state.
"It is only then that the firearm can be destroyed, and in terms of the Firearms Control Act, this process must be finalised within six months of the forfeit date," he added.
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