Johannesburg - More than 2 000 police officers in Gauteng do not have firearm compliance certificates, says MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane.
She was replying to written questions from the DA’s spokesperson on community safety Kate Lorimer in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
Lorimer has asked Nkosi-Malobane to give her details of police officers who are active without firearm compliance certificates. She also wanted to know where those officers were stationed and their ranks.
Nkosi-Malobane said the number of police officer without those certificates stood at 2031 and she also gave a breakdown of all affected stations in Gauteng.
Of the 2031 members that are active without a firearm compliance certificate, 627 officers are stationed in Tshwane.
Ekurhuleni has 351, and Johannesburg has 196. The worst affected stations are Evaton with 45 and Sebokeng with 49 uncertified members.
Nkosi-Malobane said: “The province was able to carry on with training until the first week of July when the ammunition stocks of the various training centres ran out. The division supply chain management received limited stock and started issuing ammunition again during the last week of July 2017.”
She, however, said the provincial human resources division would be increasing the number of members called up for shooting exercises, in order to ensure that those who should have been assessed during the July 2017 were assessed.
Lorimer said that Nkosi-Malobane should ensure that those police officers undergo competency tests.
“These members are not only a danger to themselves, but to the public.”