Welcome To Our Blog 

‹ Back

Abstract

In the period of 2022/2023, the South African Police Services (SAPS) reported a staggering 7,653 incidents of stolen firearms, with Gauteng province leading in the number of cases. This analysis highlights the predominant types of firearms involved in thefts, revealing that pistols and revolvers are the most commonly stolen handguns, constituting 60.3% and 28.2% of stolen firearms respectively. Additionally, R1 and R5 rifles, often associated with cash-in-transit heists, along with various models of pistols including Z88, Beretta, and Glock, are frequently targeted. The study identifies multiple avenues through which firearms are stolen, including theft from civilians and state institutions, illegal importation, homemade production, corruption within police ranks, and inadequate enforcement of the Firearms Control Act. Contributing factors such as poor police management, non-compliance with firearm renewal regulations, and insufficient inter-agency cooperation exacerbate the issue. The demographic profile of firearm owners reporting thefts typically reveals an African male aged between 26 and 35. Despite the legal obligation to report stolen firearms within 24 hours, recovery rates remain low, complicating crime resolution efforts. With over 2.7 million legal gun owners in South Africa, representing approximately 8% of the adult population, the need for effective policy intervention and enforcement to address firearm theft and associated crimes is urgent.

1. Statistics Overview:

In 2022/2023, the South African Police Services reported 7,653 stolen firearms, with Gauteng having the highest number of reports.

Gauteng: 2419 Stolen and 113 Lost

KwaZulu-Natal: 1944 Stolen and 113 Lost

Eastern Province: 714 Stolen and 55 Lost

Limpopo: 641 Stolen and 55 Lost

Western Province: 621 Stolen and 187 Lost

Mpumalanga: 519 Stolen and 20 Lost

North West: 411 Stolen and 39 Lost

Freestate:320 Stolen and 29 Lost

Northern Cape: 64 Stolen and 18 Lost

Total: 7652 Stolen and 588 Lost

 

In South Africa, the most common types of stolen firearms are pistols and revolvers:

• Pistols: The most frequently stolen type of firearm in Gauteng, accounting for 60.3% of stolen firearms in 2000. In 2023/24, 350 of the stolen or missing guns were pistols.
• Revolvers: The second most frequently stolen handgun in 2000, accounting for 28.2% of stolen firearms.
• R1 and R5 rifles: Often used in cash-in-transit heists.
• Shotguns: Also stolen.

Other types of firearms that have been stolen include:

Z88 pistols, Beretta pistols, Star pistols, Sig Sauers, Glock pistols, and Vektor handguns.

Firearms are stolen in South Africa in a variety of ways, including: 

Theft from civilians and state institutions

• Firearms are stolen from private owners, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and other government departments. 

Illegal importation

• Firearms are smuggled from neighbouring countries or imported through seaports. 

Homemade firearms

• Firearms are made at home. 

Corruption

• Police officials are bribed to issue gun licenses to people who are not fit to own them. 

Poor enforcement

• The Firearms Control Act is not enforced properly, allowing illegal guns to remain on the street. 

          Some other factors that contribute to the problem of firearms in South Africa include: 

1. Poor management in the police service 
2. Gun owners not complying with the 2018 Constitutional Court ruling on regular firearm renewal 
3. Lack of unannounced visits to firearm license holders and police stations 
4. Lack of linkage between SAPS and Home Affairs systems 
5. Lack of harsher sentences for those who commit crimes with firearms

2. Demographics:

According to one analysis, the typical firearm owner who reports a stolen firearm in South Africa is an African man between the ages of 26 and 35.

Top 5 Hotspots for firearm theft

• Gauteng
• Kwa-Zulu Natal
• Eastern Province
• Limpopo
• Western Province

According to a 2021 survey, there are more than 2.7 million legal gun owners in South Africa, which is about 8% of the adult population.

Here's some information about firearm theft in South Africa between 2020 and 2022:

State-owned firearms

• An estimated 1,800 state-owned firearms are lost or stolen each year, entering the criminal market. In 2019/20 and 2020/21, there were two major thefts of state armouries, which some say may indicate a breakdown in firearms safekeeping. 

Firearm crime

• ISS policing expert David Bruce says that firearm crime is most prevalent in Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal, but is increasing in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. 

          Some say that to reduce the risk of firearm theft, South Africa needs to: 

1. Strengthen firearm control

2. Enforce firearm control

3. Establish clear regulations
4. Retrieve illegal firearms
5. Introduce ballistic sampling of legally owned firearms
6. Enhance reporting of loss and theft of firearms
7. Allow amnesty for the disposal of unwanted firearms

 

ONLY 3% OF RECOVERED FIREARM ARE RETURNED TO THEIR RIGHTFULL OWNERWS

 

In South Africa, it is a criminal offense to not report a lost, stolen, or destroyed firearm to the police within 24 hours. Firearms are often not recovered in these cases, and the crimes are generally difficult to solve. 

 

Written By Pieter Schoeman