Madlanga Commission hears SAPS spending R3.8m monthly to maintain ballistics system

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has heard that the South African Police Service (SAPS) spends a whopping R3.8 million per month to maintain a ballistics system used for criminal investigations.

SAPS’s head of ballistics, Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela, outlined the numerous challenges faced by the unit during his testimony on Monday.

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He’s explained that the team uses an internationally recognised system to analyse firearm-related evidence connected to shootings across the country.

However, despite the high monthly maintenance cost, the system is not being used to its full capacity due to a severe shortage of personnel.

A significant portion of Mkhabela’s testimony centred on the operational challenges faced by SAPS’s ballistics division.

He said that the unit only has 42 ballistic analysts nationwide, who are grappling with a backlog of more than 29,000 firearms and related evidence.

Mkhabela added that although R3.8 million is spent monthly to maintain the system used by his team, it is not being utilised to its full potential.

Chief evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC asked: "So you are paying the monthly fee of R3.8 million but you can only use half the capacity of that system?"

Mkhabela responded: "Unfortunately, that is the reality."

He also revealed that four firearms linked to the murder of Vereeniging engineer, Armand Swart, were linked to 24 other criminal cases, including the murders of DJ Sumbody and DJ Vintos.