More than 10,600 people were murdered using unlicensed firearms in South Africa during the 2022/2023 financial year, according to official statistics released by the South African Police Service. This figure highlights the persistent threat posed by illegal guns, with state officials and researchers warning that high volumes of lost, stolen, and illicit firearms are fuelling violence across the country.

Official Figures Reveal Scale Of Gun Violence Crisis

According to the SAPS annual crime statistics, 10,613 murders involved unlicensed firearms from April 2022 to March 2023. In the third quarter of 2024 alone, 2,886 out of 6,953 murders were committed with firearms, further demonstrating the weapon’s dominant role in homicides.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, speaking at a press briefing, stated: “We know that murder and weapons, that is firearms, and illegal firearms, go hand in hand.” The SAPS confirmed that 21,702 illegal firearms have been confiscated in the past five years, with 6,853 of those weapons directly linked to murder cases.

Loss Of Legal And State-Owned Firearms Fuels Illegal Market

Police records and academic studies attribute the problem in part to firearms lost or stolen from both civilians and state agencies. According to Dr. Guy Lamb of Stellenbosch University, “Every year, there are anywhere between 6,000 and 8,000 civilian firearms that are legally held that are lost or stolen.” Additionally, government data estimates that 1,800 state-owned firearms are lost or stolen each year, many of which enter the illicit market.

The implementation of South Africa’s Firearm Control Act in 2001 had led to a 13.6% annual decrease in firearm homicides across five cities between 2001 and 2005, according to published research. However, experts note that this progress has since reversed, with recent years seeing a resurgence in firearm-related murders as illegal weapons continue to circulate widely.

Efforts to restrict the flow of illegal guns remain a central issue in combating violent crime, and civil society organisations have called for stricter enforcement and greater accountability regarding both state and privately owned firearms. Further SAPS updates are expected at the next quarterly crime briefing.