There is growing concern over the use of stolen and missing firearms in criminal activities. Many illegal firearms that are used to terrorize residents and commit business robberies were once owned by law-abiding citizens.
Police are now calling upon these citizens to report their stolen or missing firearms to help clear the streets of these deadly weapons.
Speaking to Weekend Witness, police have expressed their concerns about the rise of business and house robberies committed using illegal firearms. They have intensified their operations to confiscate more illegal firearms.
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While they do not believe that someone is actively supplying these firearms, they suspect that they were either lost or stolen from residents who had licenses for them. Criminals often file off the serial numbers to make it difficult for the police to trace the original owners.
Umgungundlovu District Police spokesperson, Sergeant Sifiso Gwala, has reported a rise in business and house robberies where illegal firearms are used.
The police are doing everything they can to recover these firearms, but they need residents to play their part by filing reports when a firearm is taken or missing.
Removing these firearms from the streets will not only make the community safer but also help decrease crime rates. Additionally, reporting a missing firearm can assist in ballistic reports, which can determine if the firearm was used in any other criminal cases.
Dr Guy Lamb, a senior lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch, who has conducted extensive research on arms control, violence reduction, urban safety, and policing in Africa, explains that these illegal firearms are often either stolen or lost and end up in the hands of criminals.
Surprisingly, the firearms that are used in crimes were legally owned, either by the police, private security companies, or ordinary citizens.
One of the main problems in South Africa is the easy access to firearms and ammunition, which contributes to their prominence in criminal activities. Dr Lamb suggests a multifaceted approach to dealing with this crisis.
This approach includes an intensified crime operation to root out illegal firearms, an increase in firearm amnesties, and the establishment of a more efficient central firearms registry.
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