Police destroyed 11 859 firearms and firearm parts on Thursday as South Africa marked International Firearm Destruction Day.

Deputy Minister of Police Polly Boshielo led the destruction ceremony on 9 July, which saw 9 596 handguns, 1 102 rifles, 798 shotguns, 33 combination firearms and 330 firearm parts melted down.

The destruction brings the total number of firearms eliminated by SAPS over the past seven years to 317 811.

The event, which marks a United Nations campaign observed annually, comes amid ongoing concern about illegal firearms in South Africa.

The majority of the firearms destroyed on Thursday were confiscated during various policing operations, including Operation Shanela. Of those destroyed, 157 firearms were linked to finalised cases involving crimes committed against women and children, while three firearms were linked to cash-in-transit robberies.

Other firearms were voluntarily surrendered or handed in during firearm amnesty periods.

Gauteng accounted for the largest number of destroyed firearms with 3 863, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 2 047 and the Western Cape with 2 037. The Eastern Cape contributed 1 500, the Free State 800, Mpumalanga 500, the Northern Cape 419, Limpopo 371 and North West 322.

SAPS also destroyed 4 089 blank guns, airguns and homemade firearms. Although often regarded as less lethal, these weapons can be modified to fire live ammunition and are frequently used in the commission of crime.

Boshielo said the destruction of firearms forfeited to the state ensures they can never re-enter circulation and reflects government’s commitment to reducing violent crime.

“It is pleasing to note that we are also destroying firearms today that were used in incidents of gender-based violence. Firearms are destroying our families and our communities. Today’s destruction demonstrates government’s commitment to detecting and permanently removing illegal firearms and ammunition from our country,” she said.

The police service continues to seize no fewer than 100 illegal firearms every week through tracing operations, stop-and-searches and targeted crime-combating initiatives.

During last week’s nationwide Shanela II operations alone, police confiscated 121 unlicensed firearms and 2 584 rounds of ammunition.

All firearms destroyed were audited and subjected to ballistic testing to determine whether they had been used in the commission of other crimes, including firearms surrendered during amnesty periods.

Boshielo was joined at the destruction ceremony by the Divisional Commissioner for Visible Policing and Operations, Lieutenant General Maropeng Mamotheti, the Sedibeng District Commissioner, Major General Nkhensani Mukhwevho, the Acting Component Head for Firearm, Liquor and Second-Hand Goods, Brigadier Nonhlanhla Sikhakhane and the Section Head for Firearm Compliance and Enforcement, Brigadier (Dr) Simon Bopape.

• Parliamentary records show that 4 424 SAPS-owned firearms were reported as lost or stolen between 1 April 2019 and 28 February. Of those missing police weapons, 3 709 were attributed to criminal activity such as theft or robbery, while 715 were lost through negligence. Annual figures show that hundreds of police firearms continue to disappear each year. In the 2023/2024 financial year alone, 741 firearms went missing, of which only 170 had been recovered by January 2026. Recovery rates remain low, with only 559 firearms recovered out of the 3 433 reported lost or stolen between 2019 and 2024. Parliamentary records show that as of 1 September 2025, 95 668 SAPS members were authorised to carry firearms off-site. Approximately 74% of lost or stolen firearms in the 2024/2025 financial year were attributed to members in this category. Over a five-year period ending in early 2026, 26 SAPS-owned firearms were confirmed to have been linked to crimes.

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