The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, has called for urgent disciplinary measures against any SAPS member found to be involved in the loss of firearms at the Norwood Police Station.

This follows an audit which revealed the alleged loss of 158 firearms at Norwood SAPS.

Also read: Norwood SAPS under investigation after guns used at a crime scene were traced to their storeroom

Joemat-Pettersson has called for urgent strategies to fix challenges facing the South African Police Service at its SAPS 13 stores.

While there is great concern around the 158 firearms that were stolen, especially since some of those firearms were used for criminal acts, the committee is also concerned by the broader implication of challenges facing a number of SAPS 13 stores around the country.

Joemat-Pettersson said, “The 5th Portfolio Committee on Police raised a similar concern that we are having, which requires short-, medium- and long-term strategies to secure SAPS 13 stores and prevent the loss of firearms and other evidential material. It is on this basis that we are of the view that those strategies are urgent.”

Joemat-Pettersson said that the monitoring and oversight of these stores is a critical control measure that must be strengthened and, in cases of breach or dereliction of duty, officers must be held accountable throughout the chain of command.

The committee has emphasised its unhappiness with lax consequence management within the SAPS hierarchy which leads to some members soiling the good image of SAPS, creating opportunity for corruption and sales of firearms to criminal elements.

“These corrupt police officers must be removed from the service to ensure the credibility of SAPS is maintained.”

The committee has also highlighted its general concern with the SAPS overall administration of firearms following an oversight visit to the Central Firearms Registry (CFR) offices.

The committee called for the modernisation of the CFR following information of huge backlogs in processing firearms licence applications and amenities at the registry. The removal of firearms from the streets is hampered by a dysfunctional CRF.

“There is a need for a broader change management strategy within the SAPS in relation to the administration of firearms. This change of management is necessary if we as a country are to win the war against the proliferation of illegal firearms and their removal from the streets.”

“The committee will ensure that the management of the station should be investigated for dereliction of duty.”

The matter of the SAPS 13 stores and CFR will feature prominently on the committee’s schedule in the coming term with meetings with the SAPS management to find solutions to this worrying and longstanding concern.