Johannesburg - A probe into a former Gauteng police brigadier over alleged firearm licences corruption underlines the need for a forensic audit, Gun Free SA said on Tuesday.
Spokeswoman Adele Kirsten said such an audit should include all firearm licences issued in the past few years.
“We have no confidence in the registry and are critical, especially over the last two to three years, of whether all those (who received licences) actually fit the criteria,” she said.
It was reports on Tuesday that former police Brigadier Stephen Choshi was being investigated. He worked for the central firearms registry until February 2011 when he was reportedly appointed as acting commander of the Roodepoort police station. He served there until his resignation.
He allegedly continued to grant Section 21 permits for firearms while working in Roodepoort.
Kirsten said it was clear there were problems in the process of issuing licences, which put South Africans in danger.
“It's clear that there are problems and what this means is that all of us, those who are not armed, are not safe.
“It's also clear that procedures are not followed.... It's a bit like a driver's (licence) except this is a lethal weapon,” said Kirsten. - Sapa