Police destroy thousands of firearms

MORE than 30 000 firearms were destroyed by the police yesterday, in an effort to eradicate illegal firearms and ammunition in South Africa.

The stockpile, which has grown to 33 000 firearms since the last national firearm destruction, with the latest demolition including 30 913 handguns, 1 452 rifles and 894 shotguns as well as 725 firearm parts.

Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said the firearms had been destroyed through a melting process that took place at the ArcelorMittal plant in Vereeniging.

Muridili said the police would continue to fight the proliferation of illegal firearms and ammunition as they posed a threat to the safety and security of the citizens of the country on a journey to a safer South Africa.

National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole, as per the prescripts of the Firearms Control Act, issued a notice in the Government Gazette on May 13 of his intention to destroy those firearms.

The notice was to allow interested parties, who may have had a valid claim to any of the firearms, an opportunity to make representations to the registrar as to why the identified firearms should not be destroyed.

According to Muridili, the registrar had not received any representations within the prescribed 21 days after the publication of the Government Gazette.

Gun Free SA director Adele Kirsten said: “This is one way to rid communities of gun violence: removing weapons from circulation and destroying them ensures that these guns can no longer cause harm.”

SA Gunowners’ Association chairperson Damian Enslin said the question to be asked was whether the destroyed firearms were actually used in the commission of any crimes.

Enslin said if a full study had to be made, the vast majority of such firearms destroyed were actually handed in by law-abiding citizens, or were part of the approximately 400 000 persons who had failed to renew their licences in time.