Nearly 3 000 seized firearms in the Western Cape remain untested for ballistic evidence, raising serious concerns about the impact on criminal prosecutions and public safety.
According to data released by the Democratic Alliance (DA) Western Cape, the South African Police Service (SAPS) seized 3 104 firearms in the province between 2023 and 2025. However, as of December 2025, 2 985 of these weapons had not undergone ballistics testing within the prescribed 90-day departmental timeline.
Only 466 firearms have been positively linked to past crimes through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS), highlighting the scale of the testing delays.
Security concerns mount
City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith highlighted the crisis in a recent Facebook post, questioning the system’s effectiveness.
“Almost 3 000 confiscated firearms have not undergone ballistic testing,” Smith wrote. “The real question is: will this gun ever see the inside of a courtroom?”
Smith called for local government to be allowed to assist police with functions it is “clearly struggling with”, noting that assistance has been acceptable in other contexts.
The situation is compounded by security breaches within state facilities. Between 2023 and 2025, 58 firearms were stolen from state officials, adding to the concern about weapons falling into criminal hands.
Many confiscated firearms also lack serial numbers, making it difficult to trace their origins and ownership history.
DA demands action
Benedicta van Minnen MPP, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety, described Saps’s response as “tragically inadequate”.
“The safety of South African citizens is being jeopardised by the delays in testing, which is allowing criminals to evade justice and continue terrorising communities,” van Minnen said.
The DA has called on the Acting Minister of Police and police to take immediate action, including:
- Providing urgent funding and resources to clear the ballistic-testing backlog
- Developing a plan to prevent firearm theft from state officials and facilities
- Creating a national strategy to combat the flow of illegal firearms into communities
The delays in ballistic testing could have far-reaching consequences for the criminal justice system, potentially weakening cases against suspects and undermining efforts to combat gun violence in the province.
