Johannesburg - Police are still on the hunt for criminals who broke into an SANDF army base in Lyttelton, Pretoria, and stole a number of R4 automatic rifles.
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said on Thursday that no arrests had yet been made despite several people being held for questioning on Tuesday - minutes after the brazen theft.
“There are no developments as yet,” Dlamini said.
The robbery has received widespread political condemnation from political parties expressing concern about the safety of South Africans. There were also growing fears that the stolen weapons could be used to execute cash-in-transit heists, which most times have fatal consequences.
EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi took to Twitter and alleged that SANDF members could be linked to the theft.
In his tweet, Ndlozi said: “There is the possibly a unit in the SANDF which conducts heists around January-March. They're possibly responsible for the disappearance."
EFF party leader Julius Malema echoed his sentiments.
The ANC and DA have also condemned the theft and urged law enforcement agencies to conduct a swift arrest of the suspects.
Thabo Mmutle, ANC whip on the study group on defence and military veterans, was the first to condemn the theft from the Engineering Formation, Lyttelton Tek Base in Pretoria.
“As the ANC study group, we strongly condemn this act of criminality. It is horrific to imagine the safety of the public when there are dangerous warfare weapons on the streets as this poses a serious safety risk to citizens and leaves much to be desired about the security of the Republic.”
He added: “As the study group, we will persuade the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans to initiate its own investigation into the matter and we are calling upon the security cluster to work together to bring the perpetrators to book. As a country, we cannot afford a scenario where criminals go to the extent of undermining the integrity of our defence force.”
DA spokesperson on defence and military veterans Kobus Marais was equally angry at the manner in which the theft was executed.
“It is outrageous to even consider that access could be gained into a supposedly highly protected military facility and further grind open a vault where ammunition is kept. Having such arms on the streets poses a threat to the safety of citizens and the security of the Republic,” Marais said.
Like Ndlozi, Marais also insinuated that the theft could have been an "inside job”.
Meanwhile, Black First Land First (BLF) has put the blame squarely on right-wing movements in South Africa.
BLF deputy president Zanele Lwana said her party believed that the break-in was as a result of the government being “soft on right-wingers” who were allegedly “waging war against black people”.
“BLF believes there is a connection between the thefts of arms and the multiple right-wing militias which our government has allowed under the guise of self-defence by land thieves.
"It’s shocking that the government allows whites to have private armies which are openly preparing for war against black people,” she said.