Durban - Gub-related murders in KwaZuluNatal and the rest of the country, as seen in the two tavern attacks at the weekend, are likely to continue owing to the government’s failure to implement strict gun-control measures.
The warning was issued by experts after two incidents of mass shootings in Orlando West, Soweto, and Sweetwaters, Pietermaritzburg, which left 19 people dead.
As the SAPS continue their pursuit of the suspects in the Sweetwaters attack, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has identified the proliferation of illegal guns as the main source of the problem.
The ISS’s Lizette Lancaster said the illegal guns were mainly used in gang warfare, prevalent in the Western Cape, in the taxi industry and by individual criminals.
“There has been persistent theft of firearms and bullets in gun shops, police stations and the army, and that is why we have such a problem with shootings – and it is likely to continue,” she said.
Lancaster said there was a need for the SAPS’s Crime Intelligence Division to be given further capacity in order to prevent the occurrence of mass shootings.
“The fact is the more illegal guns you have in circulation, the higher the chances of these killings where criminals are using high-calibre firearms,” Lancaster said.
She expressed concern that during the riots in July last year, many guns were brought into the system, and were now being used to commit various crimes.
“Remember that during the looting spree gun shops were also targeted, and then there was the shipment that was stolen from the Durban harbour. This simply means that while you already had many guns before then, suddenly the number rose dramatically.”
The security expert added that while the riots demonstrated police inefficiency, especially on intelligence gathering, it may have been a blessing.
“The July riots were a turning point in that what they have done is serve as a wake-up call for the police to step up to the challenge before them. There have been attempts to strengthen the intelligence division over the past months,” she noted.
Lancaster said an encouraging sign was the communities’ desire to work with the police recently, citing an instance where police were alerted to a planned looting at one of the shopping malls.
KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi also admitted during a media briefing in Pietermaritzburg on Monday that many illegal firearms were in the hands of criminal syndicates in the province.
Violence monitor Mary de Haas said the illegal guns were finding their way into the taxi industry and, in some instances, were being used by hitmen hired to eliminate political opponents.
“This is not just worrying, but is equally scary, because there are just too many guns that are unaccounted for. In KZN there are guns dating back to the mid to late 1990s that have still not been accounted for,” said De Haas.
She also expressed concern over the emergence of security companies, questioning whether they were registered with the regulatory body.
“The heavy rifles that are often carried by personnel from security companies demonstrate that as the industry they are becoming much more resourced than the police. Do we know if those rifles are legal? I do not think so,” she said.
She blamed police inefficiency, and the lack of proper oversight on how they carried out their work. According to De Haas, the police top brass should shoulder the blame for the current state of affairs, which she warned threatened national security.
Meanwhile, on Monday a former Msunduzi councillor, Thamsanqa Sithole, survived an attempt on his life when gunmen opened fire at his car at a road intersection in Imbali township.
There is speculation that the attack on the former councillor is related to political infighting in the ANC.
Speaking to The Mercury yesterday Sithole said it was clear to him that the attack was planned.
“Those people clearly wanted me dead, because there were many cars driving by, but once my car arrived at the intersection one came from behind and one in front. It was a clear ambush and I am really lucky to have survived,” said Sithole, who added that he had reported the incident to the Plessislaer police station.
Spokesperson for the ANC’s Moses Mabhida Region Njabulo Mtolo said they were equally concerned over incidents of violence involving guns in Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas.