Police Minister Bheki Cele says a police officer was arrested for stealing 15 firearms at Mitchells Plain police station in Cape Town.
Cele said while the officer appeared in court, there was an internal disciplinary action taken against him.
The police have been faced by theft of firearms at police stations in the recent past. Cele revealed earlier this year that 350 firearms have been stolen at police stations in the last four years.
The minister said the firearms were stolen in November last year and the officer implicated in the theft has already appeared in court.
“A South African Police Service (SAPS) member took 15 firearms and eight imitation firearms to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Platekloof for analysis; however, the firearms were not booked in at the FSL and the acknowledgement receipt from the FSL was not returned to the Mitchells Plain police station.
“A criminal case was registered where one member was arrested, charged, and made a first appearance in court on November 27, 2023. Both criminal and internal investigations are pending. The details of the investigation and court proceedings cannot be divulged as it may compromise the integrity of the outcome,” said Cele.
Cele revealed this in a written parliamentary question from Democratic Alliance member of parliament Okkie Terblanche.
Cele also said that they were trying to employ more officers to fight the increase in violent crime.
This was after the minister said in the third quarter there were more than 7,710 people who were killed in South Africa.
The top 30 stations where violent crime was reported were in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal., Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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