Members of the police in the Free State are not meeting the necessary firearm training requirements and pose a danger to the public.
This is according to Roy Jankielsohn, DA leader in the Free State. He said on Tuesday 26 May the MEC responsible for Community Safety, Roads and Transport in the Free State, Jabu Mbalula, indicated in a reply to a DA question in the Free State Legislature that SAPS members issued with firearms have not maintained the required training.
He said this was due to a shortage of 9 mm and R5-ammunition to conduct training. Mbabula confirmed that only one shooting range was available for the police members at Makwane in the Eastern Free State, which is far from most other areas and in a dilapidated state.
South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and Correctional Services shooting ranges do not accommodate the SAPS with slots to complete necessary shooting assessments. This implies that SAPS members who carry firearms and are mandated by the state to use them if necessary, in line with their responsibilities, are not competent to do so.
Furthermore, 221 members do not comply with the legal requirements in terms of the training required by the Firearms Control Act, and 3424 members do not meet the requirements to maintain firearm competency. This situation has serious legal implications for SAPS members who may use their firearms and have been issued firearms illegally, Jankielsohn said.
Last year, only 190 260 rounds of ammunition were available for training to be conducted and 75 354 for operational use. This is clearly an inadequate amount, since 58% of SAPS members in the Free State have been issued with firearms.
Mbabula stated another concern, which was that in the last three years, three firearms had been lost and 34 stolen. These firearms are now in the hands of criminals who will not hesitate to use them against law-abiding citizens.
“While members of the public face prosecution by the SAPS for not complying with the conditions to possess a firearm as required by the Firearms Control Act and its regulations, the SAPS appear to be above the law, and those who use and carry firearms without the necessary legal compliance could even face prosecution,” said Jankielsohn.
“The lack of support for the SAPS and their non-compliance with legal requirements to carry and use firearms implies that citizens, in conjunction with community organisations and private security, must defend themselves against criminals,” he concluded.
