11 800 guns were destroyed by SAPS.
Image: SAPS
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has destroyed 11 859 firearms and firearm parts as part of a nationwide effort to curb gun violence and prevent illegal weapons from returning to circulation.
The destruction, led by Deputy Minister of Police Dr Polly Boshielo on Wednesday, coincided with International Firearm Destruction Day, a United Nations campaign observed annually on July 9.
According to SAPS, the weapons cache included 9 596 handguns, 1 102 rifles, 798 shotguns, 33 combination firearms and 330 firearm parts.
The latest destruction brings the total number of firearms destroyed by the police over the past seven years to 317 811.
Police said the majority of the firearms were confiscated during crime-fighting operations, including Operation Shanela.
SAPS said all firearms destroyed had undergone auditing and ballistic testing to determine whether they had been used in the commission of crimes before being forfeited to the State and permanently disposed of.
Of the weapons destroyed, 157 were linked to finalised cases involving crimes against women and children, while three were connected to cash-in-transit robberies.
Other firearms were voluntarily surrendered during firearm amnesty periods.
Addressing the destruction event, Boshielo said removing firearms from circulation was critical in the fight against violent crime.
She said: “It is pleasing to note that we are also destroying firearms today that were used in incidents of gender-based violence. Firearms are destroying our families and our communities.
“The destruction demonstrates government’s commitment to detecting and permanently removing illegal firearms and ammunition from our country.”
Gauteng accounted for the highest number of firearms destroyed, with 3 863 weapons disposed of, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (2 047), the Western Cape (2 037) and the Eastern Cape (1 500). The remaining firearms came from the Free State, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Limpopo and North West.
In addition to the firearms, SAPS destroyed 4 089 blank guns, airguns and homemade firearms.
Police warned that although these weapons are often viewed as less dangerous, they can be modified to fire live ammunition and are frequently used in criminal activities.