SAPS ballistics backlog lets criminals walk free, says Gun Free South Africa

Serious concerns have emerged over South Africa’s ability to solve gun-related crimes after the head of the SAPS ballistics unit, Brigadier Mishack Mkhabela, told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that his unit was critically understaffed and under-resourced.

The revelation, echoed by Gun Free South Africa’s executive director, Dr Stanley Maphosa, suggests that thousands of firearms await testing while only a handful of analysts are available to process evidence, leaving gaps that criminals have learned to exploit.

"It's important to recognise that the backlog is not just about staff shortages. It is also a reflection of the sheer volume of guns and gun violence in South Africa, which has escalated over the years from 18 people shot daily in 2009 to the current 33 that are being shot daily now. This intensifies the fear in communities, influences the retaliation cycles, the roles and trust in the criminal justice system."

Maphosa warned that the backlog at the ballistics laboratories not only undermines investigations but also allows offenders to evade justice, with some cases collapsing entirely due to missing or delayed forensic reports.

"Without these ballistic reports, the detectives who are responsible for doing the investigation cannot link the guns to the crime scenes, and the prosecutors cannot build a water-tight case."

He added that the same guns are being recycled in multiple crimes, fuelling South Africa’s gun violence crisis.

Maphosa has urged the national police commissioner to immediately enforce the Firearms Control Act, strengthen oversight at the Central Firearms Registry, and ensure that confiscated guns are destroyed.

He stressed that communities across the country are losing faith in the justice system as gunfire becomes part of daily life.

"Every backlog represents a family that's waiting for truth to happen, and the community is still unsafe."

To listen to Maphosa in conversation with 702 and CapeTalk's Africa Melane, use the audio player below: