SA Police beat private security in one key area – but both still do terribly

Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu has revealed that private security companies are losing or misplacing far more weapons than the police.

Amidst rampant crime and a weak police service, many South Africans have turned to private security to ensure their safety. However, these armed private security companies may be inadvertently putting South Africans in more danger.

In a response to Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana, Mchunu revealed that there are 126,529 licensed firearms in the possession of private security companies.

However, he revealed that 1,646 firearms were reported either lost or stolen from private security firms.

Gana said this averages roughly 5 firearms ending up in the hands of criminals every day.

Mchunu also revealed that in the first semester of the 2024/25 financial year, 847 firearms were reported lost or stolen by private security companies.

“Every lost or stolen firearm or round of ammunition only further empowers criminals and disempowers and undermines the ability of the State to keep the people of South Africa safe,” said Gana.

“Unfortunately, one cannot escape the real possibility that these firearms are used to commit some of the most heinous of crimes, like murder, housebreakings, hijackings and the like.”

Notably, private security companies are losing far more weapons than the police.

In a previous answer to Makashule Gana, Mchunu said that 371 firearms were lost or stolen during the second semester of the 2023/24 financial year (1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024).

This works out to roughly 2 guns stolen or lost by the police every day.

Gauteng was the worst performer, with 121 guns lost or stolen by/from the police during the period:

350 of the guns that were stolen or missing were pistols, while 12 R5 rifles, five R1 rifles and four shotguns also left the police’s hands.

Rise Mzansi noted that R1 and R5 rifles are, in many instances, used in cash-in-transit heists.

Looking more positively, 120 identifiable SAPS firearms were recovered over the six months.

122 arrests were also made on 331 case dockets related to stolen or missing guns.

Nevertheless, Mchunu also said that 29,128 ammunition rounds were recorded as lost/stolen during the second semester of 2023/24. Over 18,000 of these lost rounds came from the SAPS’s head office divisions.

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