‘Dangerous country’: Expert reveals number of guns in SAPS storage in Madlanga Commission
Ballistics expert Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela has delivered a sobering warning to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, revealing that South Africa is sitting on a stockpile of over 29,000 firearms linked to criminal cases currently being kept in police storage.
“We are living in a dangerous country,” Mkhabela told the commission, describing the situation as deeply concerning and reflective of the country’s violent crime crisis. He explained that the stored firearms — ranging from pistols to high-calibre assault rifles — are evidence in pending investigations involving organised crime, cash-in-transit robberies, taxi violence, and political killings.
According to Mkhabela, many of these weapons remain in storage for years, increasing the risk of mismanagement, theft, or corruption. “The reality is that some of these firearms never get destroyed and may end up back in the wrong hands,” he said, adding that the lack of a transparent and efficient firearm tracking system has left a major loophole in the fight against crime.
His testimony comes amid mounting public concern over the integrity of police evidence storage. Previous investigations have exposed instances where confiscated weapons were sold or rented out by corrupt officers to criminal syndicates, fuelling violent crime across the country.
Security experts say the revelations highlight a “ticking time bomb” within the South African Police Service, urging immediate reforms. They have called for stricter protocols around firearm destruction and real-time tracking of evidence to ensure accountability.
The Madlanga Commission continues to hear explosive testimony from top-ranking police officials and security analysts as it investigates political interference, criminal infiltration, and systemic failures within law enforcement.
Brigadier Mkhabela’s evidence underscores the broader challenge facing South Africa’s justice system — a nation grappling with high crime rates, corruption, and the haunting question of how many of these stored guns might one day return to the streets.
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