Police destroy 24 901 firearms in Vereeniging

The police melted 24 901 weapons in Vereeniging on Thursday, half of which were voluntarily handed in during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 firearm amnesty periods.

Other guns were either confiscated or surrendered to the state.

The firearms included 3 610 rifles, 3 083 shotguns and 17 383 handguns.

Police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said the firearms were subjected to ballistic tests and there were no positive hits.

“The police have to continually detect and remove illegal firearms from circulation as they are being used to commit serious and violent crimes. Melting these firearms ensures that the proliferation of weapons is dealt a blow.

“The SAPS will continue to detect and remove illegal firearms and ammunition from the streets of South Africa as they pose a threat to the safety and security of the inhabitants of this country,” she added.

The police encouraged people who had firearms of deceased relatives to make sure they were in line with the prescripts of the law.

“A firearm issued to an individual cannot be used by anyone when the owner dies. The law provides that in case of death, a family member or executor must dispose of the firearm by deactivating it through a gunsmith, sell it to an accredited firearms dealer, individual or voluntarily surrender it to SAPS for destruction,” said Muridili.

News24