Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo stated to the parliamentary police committee on October 7, 2026, that firearms are the primary instrument used in most violent crimes in South Africa. He noted that these illegal firearms enter the criminal economy through various channels, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), private security companies, government institutions, and smuggling from neighboring countries. This revelation highlights the complexity of the issue of illegal firearms in the country.
Khumalo's statement was in response to concerns raised by DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard regarding the SAPS claim of recovering over 6,000 illegal firearms. Barnard questioned the accuracy of this figure, citing a lack of audit evidence to support it. The Auditor-General had also expressed concerns that the actual performance by SAPS may have been better than reported. This exchange underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability within SAPS.
The issue of firearms diversion is not new to South Africa. A notable case involved former police officer and convicted arms dealer Colonel Christiaan Prinsloo, who in 2016 admitted to selling firearms and ammunition to gangsters. This case exposed vulnerabilities in the system, where weapons intended for destruction could be diverted into the criminal underworld. The incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of SAPS in managing and securing firearms.
SAPS has reported a decrease in certain crimes, including a 5.2% decrease in contact crime and a 9.4% decrease in murder rates, bringing the murder rate down to 36.72 per 100,000 of the population. However, the recovery of illegal firearms remains a challenge. Deputy National Commissioner for policing Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili acknowledged that while police are recovering illegal firearms, the numbers are not as high as desired.
Mosikili also noted that many weapons ending up in criminal hands were once legally owned before being stolen or diverted from civilians, private institutions, and state actors. To combat this, SAPS is intensifying border operations with neighboring SADC countries to intercept smuggled weapons. A recent seizure in Gauteng involving a truck from Namibia carrying several firearms highlights these efforts.
The flow of illegal firearms also raises questions about the legal firearms system in South Africa. Mosikili mentioned that SAPS has a 120-day target for processing licence applications but emphasized that stricter checks under the Firearms Control Act could result in delays. The goal is to prevent legally acquired firearms from ending up in criminal hands by thoroughly vetting applications.
Claire Taylor, a research and policy analyst at Gun Free South Africa, welcomed the scrutiny of the country's firearms regime, emphasizing the need for effective stockpile management to tackle gun violence. She argued that the biggest source of illegal weapons is legal firearms already in the country and that full control over every legal firearm is essential to prevent them from leaking into the illegal pool.
Key points
- SAPS reports that firearms are the primary instrument used in most violent crimes in South Africa.
- The South African Police Service faces challenges in recovering illegal firearms, with numbers not as high as desired.
- Effective stockpile management and stricter controls are essential to prevent legal firearms from ending up in criminal hands.
