The South African Police Service (SAPS) destroyed 11 859 firearms and associated parts on 9 July 2026, marking the first such exercise of the 2026/27 financial year. The items were processed to coincide with International Firearm Destruction Day, a United Nations initiative aimed at reducing the flow of illegal weapons.
Breakdown Of Destroyed Ordinance
The total destruction haul included 9 596 handguns, 1 102 rifles, 798 shotguns, and 33 combination firearms, alongside 330 loose components. Furthermore, official records indicate that police destroyed an additional 4 089 blank guns, airguns, and improvised “homemade” firearms during the event.
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.
Strategic Impact And Historical Data
This initiative is part of a broader national strategy to combat violent crime by ensuring that seized weapons cannot be recirculated within the illicit market. Over the past seven years, SAPS has facilitated the destruction of 317 811 firearms recovered through criminal operations, active policing, and state forfeitures.
As per standard SAPS protocol, recovered weapons undergo rigorous ballistic testing to determine if they can be linked to other unsolved criminal investigations before they are authorised for destruction. Authorities are expected to continue these disposal cycles to limit the availability of high-calibre and concealable weapons in vulnerable communities.