PRETORIA, 27 October 2025– More than 29,000 crime-linked firearms are currently being kept in police storage across South Africa, the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has heard.
Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela, head of the Ballistics Division at the South African Police Service (SAPS), disclosed the figure during his testimony before the commission on Monday. He revealed that a number of these weapons were connected to multiple criminal cases, including several high-profile murders.
According to Mkhabela, firearms linked to the killing of popular musician DJ Sumbody were also associated with 24 other murders, among them those of DJ Vintos and engineer Armand Swart from Vereeniging.
“The fact that we are holding over 29,000 firearms, each connected to a victim, shows the scale of violence in our country,” Brigadier Mkhabela said. “We are living in a dangerous country.”
He noted that both licensed and unlicensed weapons were among those seized, and described the volume as “clear evidence” of South Africa’s entrenched gun-related criminal activity.
Mkhabela further highlighted the severe staffing shortages within his division, which, he said, make it difficult to conduct timely ballistic analyses. “That is one area that keeps me awake at night,” he told the commission. “The figures speak for themselves.”
The Brigadier added that anyone wishing to understand the extent of firearm-related crime should “visit the storeroom” where the confiscated weapons are kept.
The testimony underscored the growing concern over firearm control and the capacity of law enforcement agencies to process ballistic evidence efficiently.
Brigadier Mkhabela concluded his appearance before the commission, leaving the inquiry with a stark warning about the challenges of curbing gun-related violence in South Africa.
