By Thulasizwe Nkomo
Durban – THE KwaZulu-Natal police seized 739 illegal firearms last month, following operations conducted by police stations across the province.
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said: “Police also seized 5 132 rounds of ammunition during the same period. Among the firearms recovered were 603 pistols, 15 home-made firearms, five semi-automatic firearms, 80 rifles and 36 shotguns.
“Firearm components such as barrels, magazines, slides, silencers and other components were also seized.”
Acting KZN provincial police commissioner Major-General Thulani Gonya said that he was pleased with the recovery of firearms.
“We once again wish to remind citizens that we are in the midst of a firearm amnesty. The firearm amnesty provides for indemnity against prosecution for the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. There will, however, be no indemnity for firearms used to commit crime such as murder, robbery, hijacking etc,” said Gonya.
KZN violence monitor Mary de Haas said every gun taken off the streets was welcomed, but there was still more to be done.
“There should be oversight testing to check if these guns have been involved in crime before being destroyed.
“It’s also important that during the seizing of these guns they take people in and charge them,” De Haas said.
She added police should do an in-depth search to establish where these guns came from – were they stolen, unlicensed and who was supplying them? – because there were many guns that went missing from the police.
The Mercury