Cape Town - Parliament will get a briefing on the 158 firearms that were lost at the Norwood Police Station in Johannesburg, sparking a national outcry.
This led to the station commander to resign after an investigation was launched.
Political parties were up in arms after it emerged that 158 were lost at the station.
They said the guns could end up in the wrong hands of criminals who would use the firearms to commit serious and violent crimes.
The appearance of the police to account to the portfolio committee on Wednesday on the lost firearms comes after Police Minister Bheki Cele on Friday released crime statistics which showed an increase in murder. Johannesburg is one of the areas affected by the high murder and rape cases.
In its annual report that was tabled in Parliament for 2020/21 financial year the police said it lost 376 firearms but these were recovered.
The report also said more than 2 000 firearms belonging to individuals, businesses and dealers were lost.
“The improvement of the regulation of firearms will reduce the number of illegal firearms in circulation, as one of the key drivers of violent crime and play a key role in the investigation and the detection of firearm-related crimes and ultimately the efficient control of firearms, as required by the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No 60 of 2000).
“The SAPS, through the CFR (Central Firearms Registry), is mandated to regulate and ensure effective control over small arms and light weapons, within and across the borders of the Republic. In 2020/2021, a total of 2 035 firearms owned by individuals, dealers and institutions (excluding SAPS-owned firearms), were circulated as recovered, compared to 4 204 firearms, in 2019/2020. The details of 5 332 firearms were circulated as stolen or lost, during 2020/2021. A total of 376 SAPS-owned firearms were circulated as recovered,” stated the report.
POLITICAL BUREAU