Last month, the KwaZulu-Natal police took over 739 illegal firearms, after police stations across the province conducted operations.
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said:
“Police also seized 5 132 rounds of ammunition during the same period. Among the firearms recovered were 603 pistols, 15 home-made firearms, five semi-automatic firearms, 80 rifles and 36 shotguns.”
“Firearm components such as barrels, magazines, slides, silencers and other components were also seized.”
Acting KZN provincial police commissioner Major-General Thulani Gonya said he was satisfied with how the police were able to recover several firearms.
“We once again wish to remind citizens that we are in the midst of a firearm amnesty. The firearm amnesty provides for indemnity against prosecution for the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. There will, however, be no indemnity for firearms used to commit crime such as murder, robbery, hijacking etc,” said Gonya.
KZN violence monitor – Mary de Haas said she has welcomed all the guns taken from the streets, but wants more to be done.
“There should be oversight testing to check if these guns have been involved in crime before being destroyed.”
“It’s also important that during the seizing of these guns they take people in and charge them,” De Haas said.
She further said the police should dig more in their search, so as to know the source of the guns; if they were stolen or unlicensed and who was supplying. Obviously, a lot of guns went missing from the police.
