South African Police destroyed 11,859 firearms and firearm parts on Thursday as part of efforts to prevent illegal weapons from being used in criminal activities.
The firearms, which included 9,596 handguns, 1,102 rifles, 798 shotguns, 33 combination firearms and 330 firearm parts, were melted down at a destruction facility in Johannesburg. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), most were confiscated during police operations, while others were voluntarily surrendered during firearm amnesty periods.
Deputy Police Minister Polly Boshielo said the destruction of the weapons demonstrates the government’s commitment to removing illegal firearms from circulation and reducing violent crime. She noted that all recovered firearms undergo ballistic testing to determine whether they were linked to other crimes before being destroyed.
The SAPS said it has destroyed 317,811 firearms over the past seven years. July 9 is observed as the International Day of the Destruction of Small Arms, a United Nations initiative promoting the destruction of illicit firearms.