The Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security in the City of Cape Town, JP Smith, has raised concerns about illegal firearms taken away from criminals and organised gangs not being destroyed.
He says they are likely to end up back in the hands of criminals to continue serious violent crimes such as murders, attempted murders, hijackings, and armed robberies.
Gun Free South Africa filed papers in the Western Cape High Court last week on behalf of families seeking to hold police accountable for deaths and injuries caused by firearms leaked to criminals by former police colonel Christian Prinsloo.
Gun Free South Africa report shows gun violence is the leading cause of murder in South Africa:
Smith says it has emerged that none of the illegal firearms that the police have confiscated in the Western Cape in the first quarter of 2023 have been destroyed.
“I think that’s exactly what the concern is to know that at this stage there are 700 firearms of which the city’s contribution has confiscated over the last 21 months. Officers are taking a lot of risks and putting a lot of work into this work, so it’s disheartening to know that the work you’re doing is not resulting in convictions, cases are not being closed, and firearms are being destroyed. If they land back to gangsters, they’ll hold all communities hostage.”
