KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is cracking down on careless cops taking their firearms home in efforts to curb the rampant loss and theft of State-issued firearms.
In a directive to all Station Commanders, Provincial Heads, Support Heads and Supply Chain Commanders in KZN, Mkhwanazi said that all officers must apply to their Station or Unit Commanders for authority to take their official firearms home at the completion of their duties.
He said Chapter 10 of the National Instruction 6 of 2018 stipulates that a police member was “not entitled to be issued with an official firearm on his or her personal inventory for use in his or her private capacity when off duty”.
He added that all members were to now apply to their Station or Unit Commanders for authority to take their official firearms home at the end of their shift.
“Station and Unit Commanders are to forward applications to their respective District Commissioners to recommend or not-recommend applications received,” the directive said.
This is to ensure that police officers themselves comply with the Firearms Control Act by having an SABS approved wall/floor mounted safe which should be inspected and found to be installed according to prescripts of the Act.
The crackdown comes after the annual South African Police Service (SAPS) report revealed that officers lost more than 700 firearms in the last financial year.
The police said one of the reasons for the loss of so many firearms was that they were stolen from members of the SAPS.
The SAPS said some of the firearms are stolen from their offices.
Stolen police guns contribute to violent gun crimes across the country.
“In 2022/23, 742 firearms owned by the SAPS were confirmed as stolen or lost, which is 142 more than the set target of 600,” the police said in an annual report that was tabled in Parliament.
The loss of SAPS-owned firearms can be attributed to various factors, including the escalation of crime against members, including, but not limited to, robbery in townships or other places, housebreaking, theft from offices/stores, negligent loss by members and the loss of property during motor vehicle accidents.
“The Provisioning Administration System was improved to ensure the accuracy of data and to facilitate the reporting of lost or stolen firearms. The certification and biannual inspections of firearms are in place to prevent losses. When incidents involving lost firearms occur, relevant legal requirements are being implemented,” the annual report added.
Mkhwanazi’s directive to KZN’s top brass said that with immediate effect, a police member who suffers a loss of an official firearm, whether through theft, robbery, or any other reason, may not be issued a replacement official firearm registered to them.
They can only have a firearm registered to them after the criminal and departmental cases have been finalised and the police member had not been found guilty for the loss of the firearm through negligence.
However, he said that a police officer who has lost their firearm and is not awaiting the outcome of a criminal or departmental inquiry and who requires a firearm for the performance of his or her official duties, may utilise a firearm from the station inventory.
“In these cases the Shift Commander or immediate commander must issue a firearm to the member when his or her shift, or particular duty, starts and the member must return the firearm and ammunition at the end of that specific shift or duty …”.
A seasoned policeman, who spoke to IOL on condition of anonymity as he is not allowed to speak to the media, said many officers were anxious about the directive and their personal safety.
“Until our homes are inspected we must leave our firearms at the station. What happens to detectives who are on standby after hours? They cannot attend a crime scene without a firearm. Also what happens if we are off-duty, and we see a crime being committed and we do nothing because we don’t have our guns with us. We are duty-bound to act if there is a crime happening, whether on duty or not. This is going to impact service delivery,” he said.
In response to questions from IOL, about the directive, KZN police spokesman, Brigadier Jay Naicker said: “The SAPS is duty-bound to safeguard all State firearms under its control and there are stringent measures in place to ensure that this is accomplished.
“Members may apply to take their firearms home and if they meet all criteria, they will be allowed to do so. Those that do not comply with the conditions, e.g. those that do not have a safe, as required in terms of the Firearms Control Act, will not be allowed to.”
IOL News