Nearly 1,000 illegal guns seized in BCM since 2020 — but prosecutions ‘alarmingly’ low

Police in Buffalo City Metro have confiscated nearly 1,000illegal firearmsand more than 8,000 rounds of ammunition over the past five years, according to figures revealed in the Eastern Cape legislature. Community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha said 969 illegal guns — mostly handguns — were seized in the metro between 2020 and the current financial year. Some of the weapons were linked tomurders,hijackingsandarmed robberiescommitted in parts of the city during that period.

In the same period, police also confiscated 8,259 rounds of illegal ammunition. The figures were disclosed in a written reply by Nqatha to parliamentary questions from DA MPL Yusuf Cassim. Nqatha said almost 600 people had been arrested in the metro for possession of illegal firearms over the past five years, while 482 people had been arrested for possession of illegal ammunition.

However, the number of successful prosecutions remains low. In the 2020/21 financial year, police confiscated 113 illegal firearms. This increased to 141 in 2021/22 and 145 in 2022/23.

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The number rose sharply in 2024/25, when 243 illegal firearms were removed from circulation. In the current 2025/26 financial year, which ends this month, police have already confiscated 162 illegal firearms.

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