Over a thousand illegal firearms were seized by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the past five months in the Western Cape. This was revealed by National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, who briefed media on Wednesday.
Of the 1 026 illegal firearms seized from 1 April, 80 were confiscated in the past seven days.
PICTURE: PixabayMasemola says he has received a report from the Western
Cape Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, on progress in the fight against
gang violence.
‘’You will recall that we currently have deployments in
place and inclusive of city of Cape Town law enforcement officers we have 400
police officers on a daily basis patrolling and ensuring heightened police
visibility …. This is indeed a step in the right direction. In the past week,
the same province also recorded seizure of 54 illegal firearms. This is
encouraging despite the ongoing killings and attacks.’’
The breakdown of the 1026 illegal firearms seized in five
months include: Handguns=760; Homemade=99; Rifle=83; Shotgun=84
In terms of arrests for the Western Cape, the total number
of arrests from the 1st of April 2025 to date is standing at 114 000 suspects
arrested for various crimes.
The majority of arrests is for drug related crime which
stands at 33 774 suspects arrested thus far followed by those found in
possession of dangerous weapons which is standing at more than 9000 suspects.
➢ For
Illegal possession of firearms =932 suspects were arrested
➢ For
Illegal possession of ammunition = 385 suspects were arrested
➢ For
Murder=773 suspects were arrested
➢ For
Attempted murders=786 suspects were arrested
➢ And
lastly, 663 suspects were arrested for rape.
In terms of
convictions during this period, for life imprisonment = 48 persons were
sentenced to life for various crimes such as murder, attempted murder and rape.
➢ Those
convicted to 20 years and more = 34 persons
➢ Those
convicted from between 10 and 19 years = 111 persons
Masemola says the police ministry has spent the last few
days engaging with communities in the Western Cape especially along the 31
identified stations that are hotpots for gang violence.
‘’I must reiterate that Police officers across the country
will not tolerate any criminal activity and will ensure that they continue to protect
and stabilise communities by stamping the authority of the state. Our crime
intelligence operatives, detectives and uniformed police continue to heighten
operations on the ground to deter all forms of criminality.’’
Done by: Bush Radio News
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