Smuggled rifles and guns of the dead fuel Western Cape’s firearm crisis - IOL

Western Cape SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Sizakhele William Dyantyi briefs the media on the province’s crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year at the SAPS Provincial Head Office in Green Point.

Rifles believed to have entered South Africa from neighbouring countries, firearms left behind by deceased licence holders and the continued movement of illegal handguns are among the challenges facing Western Cape police as guns remain the weapon of choice in violent crime.

This was revealed during the release and unpacking of the Western Cape’s first-quarter crime statistics for the 2026/2027 financial year, covering the period from April to June 2026.

Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Sizakhele Dyantyi told Cape Argus 610 firearms were confiscated across the province during the three-month period, with police particularly concerned about rifles recovered during operations and linked to violent crime.

“We have seen, with the issue of tactical violence within the province during the period of April and June, rifles confiscated that were used in the commission of crime,” Dyantyi said.

He said some of the rifles recovered did not originate in South Africa, raising concerns about firearms being smuggled into the country from neighbouring states.

Dyantyi said SAPS had bilateral arrangements with different countries and efforts were under way to deal with firearms moving across South Africa’s borders.

“As SAPS, we ensure that wherever we are with our operations, we pursue any intelligence,” he said.

The latest crime statistics show 1,071 murders were recorded in the Western Cape between April and June, down 6.7% from 1,148 during the same period last year. Of these, 869 murders were recorded in the City of Cape Town district.

Several police stations remained among the province’s biggest murder hotspots and even featured in the national stats. 

Mfuleni recorded 73 murders, Nyanga 56, Philippi East 53, Delft 53, Harare 49, Khayelitsha 44 and Kraaifontein 43. Mitchell’s Plain recorded 30 murders, while Gugulethu recorded 37.

Dyantyi said identifying permanent firearm hotspots remained difficult because guns could easily be moved between communities.

“A firearm is an item that can be moved. It is difficult to pin the hotspots,” he said.

He singled out Delft as a station making significant firearm recoveries despite the area remaining one of the province’s violent-crime hotspots.

The official statistics separately recorded 792 cases of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition detected through police action, compared with 821 during the same period last year. These figures refer to offences recorded and not the number of individual firearms confiscated.

Another concern raised by the provincial commissioner involved firearms legally registered to people who had since died.

Dyantyi said police needed to improve the tracing and tracking of firearms belonging to deceased licence holders before they potentially fell into the wrong hands.

He suggested closer information-sharing with the Department of Home Affairs so police could be alerted when a licensed firearm owner died, allowing SAPS to approach the family and ensure the weapon was dealt with lawfully.

Dyantyi also told Cape Argus he wanted to follow up on the possibility of a central firearm-destruction facility.

“With regards to firearm destruction, we still have to find out how far we are with that. A central destruction firearm facility is something I would like to follow up,” he said.

The statistics also showed that gang violence remained a major driver of killings, with gang-related violence or gang initiation identified as a factor in 217 murders and 233 attempted murders during the quarter.

Meanwhile, rape increased by 3.8%, from 1,066 to 1,106 cases, with the City of Cape Town recording 703 cases.

SAPS said there was currently no shortage of rape kits in the province, adding that procurement and distribution were being monitored weekly and kits were being distributed to stations where needed.