Police Minister Firoz Cachalia’s plan to disarm gangs has been welcomed, but experts say illegal firearms smuggled across borders must also be stopped.
If South Africa wants to win the fight against gangsterism, the police must also deal with cross-border illegal firearms smuggling, according to experts.
They commended the police minister for announcing that a major focus in the fight against gangsterism is to intercept the firearms supply in gang-infested areas such as the Western Cape.
Minister outlines new anti-gang strategy
Police Minister Firoz Cachalia recently announced that one of the strategies to fight the rampant gangsterism that claims many lives in the Western Cape is to deal with gun smuggling and the spread of illegal firearms.
“Without access to firearms gangs will be seriously weakened. We need urgent interventions to remove firearms from gangsters and prevent further proliferation of these deadly weapons.
“Perhaps the firearms stocks held in the SA Police Service’s (Saps) 13 stores in gang areas should be removed, secured safely elsewhere and subjected to priority ballistic testing.
“Rigorous and regular auditing must be done on all state entities and private security companies that hold firearm stocks.
“We could consider monetary rewards for information leading to the confiscation of illegal firearms and the prosecution of those who possess or deal in illegal firearms,” said Cachalia.
Alarming rise in gang violence
He said this year, gang violence in the Western Cape had reached alarming levels and people were being shot and killed, or seriously injured, on a daily basis.
Saps statistics showed that over the past six months, from April to September, police recorded 490 gang-related murders.
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“During this time, almost 120 young people under the age of 18 were shot, resulting in 23 deaths.
“Children under the age of 14 accounted for five of these deaths, with 41 wounded. Since August, murders have increased by 18% compared to last year.”
Gun Free SA backs focus on firearms
Gun Free SA commended the minister for his strategy to disarm gangs by minimising access to firearms.
Gun Free SA research and policy analyst Claire Taylor said: “We welcome the minister’s recognition that gang violence devastates communities and results from systemic failures, not just individual criminality.
“We are encouraged by his interventions to address gang violence, particularly his focus on guns which, for too long, have been invisible in police operations to address rising violent crime.
“The minister is correct, guns enable and multiply crime and without firearms, gangs will be seriously weakened.”
Call for intelligence-led policing
Taylor said intelligence-led operations were needed to recover illegal firearms and trace sources, not ineffective stop-and-search operations like Operations Shanela.
“Operation Buyisa, launched in July, is already showing results in areas like Mitchells Plain.
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“Most illegal guns don’t come from smuggling – they’re licensed guns that leak from civilians and police.
“We must strengthen controls over all licensed firearms through regular audits and inspections. In this regard, we support the minister’s proposal to remove firearm stocks from Saps stores and subject them to ballistic testing.”
She urged accountability through prosecutions to send a strong message that gun crime will not be tolerated.
‘More holistic approach to curbing illegal firearms’
Willem Els, of the Institute for Security Studies, also welcomed this new strategy, stating that the focus must also be on dealing with cross-border firearms smuggling.
“The gang violence in the Cape is mainly perpetrated by firearms. Maybe it’s an ideal opportunity now to look at a more holistic approach to curbing illegal firearms.
“Recently, illegal firearms were stolen from the military and the police in Namibia and smuggled to the Western Cape.
“Our problem as a country is that we are focusing so much on legal firearms and on controlling the firearms within SA, but we’re not addressing smuggling of firearms through our borders.
“But overall, that is where you start, because in gangsterism, the guy with the biggest gun is the boss.”
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