Question NW66 to the Minister of Police

Reply:

(a) The following three police stations are excluded from the proposed firearms amnesty.

• Isipingo.
• Bellville South.
• Kanyamazane.

(b) These police stations are situated in the following provinces respectively:

• Isipingo KwaZulu-Natal.
• Bellville South Western Cape.
• Kanyamazane Mpumalanga.

(c) These police stations have been selected, based on the following reasons:

Firstly, the following number of firearms have been reported lost/stolen from the Exhibit Management Stores (SAPS 13 Stores) of the respective police stations, during the period 1 April 2016 to 31 October 2017:

Isipingo Police Station - 31firearms.

Bellville South Police Station - 18 firearms.

Kanyamazane Police Station - three firearms.

The reported losses/theft of firearms from the SAPS 13 Stores at these police stations have been tabled as a high risk.

Secondly, the criminal investigations pertaining to the losses/theft of firearms at these SAPS 13 Stores, are still pending and the conclusion thereof needs to be examined, in order to implement preventative measures.

Thirdly, it is in the interest of the firearms amnesty that there must not be any doubt with persons, who wish to participate in the surrendering of firearms during the amnesty period, that such firearms will not be safely kept in the SAPS 13 Stores at police stations.

Fourthly, allowing firearms to be surrendered at the above identified three police stations, may negatively influence the firearms amnesty, which may have a detrimental effect on the success of the amnesty.

It is still the ultimate view and wish of the South African Police Service that the above three police stations must not be excluded from the firearms amnesty but that additional safety measures be implemented at these police stations by the respective provincial commissioners and that an extreme tightened monitoring and auditing system be adopted at these police stations such as daily inspections from the office of the Cluster Commander.