Police Commissioner flags Namibia and Angola as sources of illegal arms inflow

Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, has raised the alarm over the excessive availability of illegal firearms and ammunition circulating within the province.

Her remarks follow the South African Police Service's (SAPS) release of the second-quarter crime statistics on Wednesday. Marais noted that illegal firearm seizures in the Western Cape have increased by 28.8%, a figure that significantly surpasses national trends.

In addition to the weaponry, police confiscated more than 32,000 rounds of ammunition between July and September.

"Precincts like Mitchells Plain, Delft, Philippi, and Bishop Lavis featured prominently in these seizures," Marais stated. "We need a social pact in this province—a collective stance against gangsterism and violent crime. Police and government cannot win this fight alone."

Provincial Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile provided insight into the origin of these weapons, stating that a significant portion of the illegal flow is coming through the Namibian border.
"I will not leave this one of Namibia. I'm going to say it again because there are more than 100 firearms of the state found here in Cape Town," said Patekile. "We are also mindful of the fact that there have been firearms that are coming from Angola and other countries that are not in our system."