In an effort to remove illegal firearms from circulation, the South African Police Service (SAPS) destroyed a total of 13 859 firearms during its second firearm destruction process for the 2025/26 financial year.
This brings the total number of firearms destroyed over the past seven years to 305 934.
The District Commissioner of Sedibeng in Gauteng, Major General Adelaide Mukhwevho presided over the official firearm destruction process that took place in Vanderbijlpark.
Majority of the destroyed firearms were confiscated during various policing operations, including OPERATION SHANELA, and were forfeited to the State.
Some of the firearms are linked to finalised criminal cases such as farm attacks, cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies and crimes against women and children. Others were voluntarily surrendered or handed in during firearm amnesty periods.
By destroying forfeited firearms, the SAPS prevents them from re-entering circulation. The provincial breakdown of firearms destroyed is as follows:
▶️ Gauteng: 5 193
▶️ KwaZulu-Natal: 2 752
▶️ Western Cape: 2 155
▶️ Eastern Cape: 1 300
▶️ Mpumalanga: 605
▶️ Limpopo: 535
▶️ Free State: 499
▶️ Northern Cape: 411
▶️ North West: 354
▶️ Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI): 55
Type of firearms destroyed:
▶️ Handguns: 11 183
▶️ Rifles: 1302
▶️ Shotguns: 1004
▶️ Combination: 34
▶️ Firearm parts: 336
Also amongst the destroyed firearms is a total of 7 708 blank guns, airguns and homemade firearms which were also destroyed during the destruction process. Although these weapons are often perceived as less lethal than conventional firearms, they are often used in the commission of crimes.
On a weekly basis, the SAPS seizes no less than 100 illegal firearms during tracing operations, stop-and-searches, and other targeted crime combating activities.
Just last week, nationwide SHANELA II operations led to the recovery of 147 illegal firearms and 4 465 rounds of ammunition of different calibres.
All seized firearms with working mechanisms undergo testing through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) to determine whether they were used in the commission of other crimes, including those handed in during amnesty periods.
This brings the total number of firearms destroyed over the past seven years to 305 934.
The District Commissioner of Sedibeng in Gauteng, Major General Adelaide Mukhwevho presided over the official firearm destruction process that took place in Vanderbijlpark.
Majority of the destroyed firearms were confiscated during various policing operations, including OPERATION SHANELA, and were forfeited to the State.
Some of the firearms are linked to finalised criminal cases such as farm attacks, cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies and crimes against women and children. Others were voluntarily surrendered or handed in during firearm amnesty periods.
By destroying forfeited firearms, the SAPS prevents them from re-entering circulation. The provincial breakdown of firearms destroyed is as follows:
▶️ Gauteng: 5 193
▶️ KwaZulu-Natal: 2 752
▶️ Western Cape: 2 155
▶️ Eastern Cape: 1 300
▶️ Mpumalanga: 605
▶️ Limpopo: 535
▶️ Free State: 499
▶️ Northern Cape: 411
▶️ North West: 354
▶️ Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI): 55
Type of firearms destroyed:
▶️ Handguns: 11 183
▶️ Rifles: 1302
▶️ Shotguns: 1004
▶️ Combination: 34
▶️ Firearm parts: 336
Also amongst the destroyed firearms is a total of 7 708 blank guns, airguns and homemade firearms which were also destroyed during the destruction process. Although these weapons are often perceived as less lethal than conventional firearms, they are often used in the commission of crimes.
On a weekly basis, the SAPS seizes no less than 100 illegal firearms during tracing operations, stop-and-searches, and other targeted crime combating activities.
Just last week, nationwide SHANELA II operations led to the recovery of 147 illegal firearms and 4 465 rounds of ammunition of different calibres.
All seized firearms with working mechanisms undergo testing through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) to determine whether they were used in the commission of other crimes, including those handed in during amnesty periods.