Shocking statistics revealed during a parliamentary question and answer session show that illegal firearms are responsible for 99% of all firearm-related murders in South Africa, with more than 28 people killed daily with unlicensed weapons.
Acting Minister of Police Prof Firoz Cachalia disclosed the figures in response to questions from the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), revealing that between the 2022/23 and 2025/26 financial years, 41 297 murders were committed with illegal, unlicensed firearms compared to just 393 with legally licensed weapons.
The detailed breakdown shows that in 2022/23, 120 murders were committed with legal firearms versus 10 613 with illegal weapons. The following year saw 90 legal firearm murders against 10 911 illegal. In 2024/25, the figures were 108 versus 10 450, whilst the most recent year recorded 75 legal firearm murders compared to 9 323 illegal.
The data also exposed a concerning trend of police-owned firearms being used in murders. Over the four-year period, 38, 40, 24 and 40 people were killed respectively with weapons that had disappeared from police possession.
FF Plus MP and national chairperson Wouter Wessels said the statistics offer irrefutable proof in the debate about citizen disarmament. “The FF Plus’ position has always been that legally licensed firearm owners are not the problem, but criminals with illegal firearms,” Wessels said.
ALSO READ: Over 3,400 police firearms lost or stolen in five years
He called on government to abandon efforts to disarm law-abiding citizens and instead focus on recovering the hundreds of thousands of illegal firearms in circulation, including weapons from the police themselves.
“In a country where criminals clearly do not have a shortage of illegal firearms and do not hesitate to use them, law-abiding citizens’ ability to defend themselves must not be further curtailed,” Wessels added.
The FF Plus noted that many of the 393 deaths involving legal firearms were likely cases of self-defence, meaning the actual number of wrongful homicides with licensed weapons would be even lower.
ALSO READ: Cape Town calls for national action as Illegal weapons smuggling continues
