Hope Ntanzi

Rise Mzansi has warned that an estimated two million illegal firearms are circulating in South Africa, posing a serious threat to public safety.

The party has criticised the South African Police Service (SAPS) for failing to track the specific makes of firearms used in crimes properly, a shortfall it says undermines crime analysis and detection efforts.

In a written parliamentary reply to Rise Mzansi, the Minister of Police revealed that SAPS's Enhanced Firearms Register System (EFRS) does not capture the specific makes of firearms, only their types, such as handguns, shotguns, or rifles.

This means the system was unable to identify weapons like the AK-47s, Norincos, or AKMs, all of which have reportedly been used in violent crimes across South Africa.

Rise Mzansi Member of Parliament and National Assembly Caucus Whip, Makashule Gana, said the lack of detailed firearm data hampers the country’s ability to track and remove illegal weapons from communities.

“Currently, the data provided in the EFRS can only differentiate in terms of firearm types (handgun, shotgun or rifle), not makes (AK47, Norinco, AKM),” the Minister of Police stated in response to the party’s questions.