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AfriForum says that whistleblowers’ testimony before the recent sitting of the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating allegations of police corruption confirms that the Firearms Control Amendment Bill is politically and ideologically driven and does not reflect the reality of crime in the country.

According to the civil rights organisation, the testimony of Patricia Mashale, a former official of the South African Police Service (SAPS), made it clear that state institutions themselves contribute to the distribution of illegal firearms. According to Mashale, there is deep-rooted corruption in the SAPS, which includes SAPS members allegedly selling firearms that were earmarked for destruction. This is while the government is trying to disarm law-abiding citizens. Mashale testified that she had already made these allegations public in 2018 and submitted detailed information identifying the SAPS members and dealers involved, but that no meaningful action had followed.

Mashale’s testimony is consistent with long-standing evidence that the state arsenal – not civilian safes – is the primary source of illegal firearms in the country. More than 2.2 million firearms are held by state institutions, but compliance with the Firearms Control Act (60 of 2000) by these institutions is dismal. The SAPS alone has lost an estimated 18 000 to 20 000 firearms over the past decade, while millions of rounds of ammunition have disappeared with negligible recovery rates. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and other departments have repeatedly failed to report losses.

“These revelations destroy the narrative that the government relies on to justify stricter restrictions on private firearm ownership,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Chief Spokesperson for Community Safety. “You cannot credibly argue that legal firearm owners are the problem when whistleblowers are now confirming under oath that police officers allegedly sold firearms that should have been destroyed to criminal syndicates.”

The infamous Colonel Chris Prinsloo case, in which approximately 9 000 police-issued firearms were sold directly to gangs, remains one of the most damning examples of how state corruption actively fueled violent crime. The new testimony from whistleblowers confirms that this was not an isolated incident but part of a deeper, systemic problem.

“Against this backdrop, any attempt to amend the Firearms Control Act under the guise of public safety is simply dishonest,” says Broodryk. “These proposals are not rooted in crime statistics, operational realities, or concerns for citizens – they are rooted in political ideology and a refusal to confront state failure.”

In 2021, the government attempted to do away with self-defense as a valid reason for firearm ownership. This proposal was criticized as reckless and dangerous. AfriForum warns that the revival of similar amendments now, despite overwhelming evidence of illegal firearm distribution by state entities, confirms that the motivation is political rather than practical.

While the government has previously held discussions on firearms legislation without proper participation from civil society, AfriForum stresses that the real issue now is not secrecy, but credibility. No policy discussion can be legitimate while whistleblowers reveal how criminals are armed by failures – and alleged criminality – within state institutions themselves.

“The government should abandon these amendments altogether and start sweeping in front of its own door,” concludes Broodryk. “Disarming responsible citizens while supplying criminals with weapons through corrupt state channels is negligence dressed up as policy.”

Issued by AfriForum