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  1. #1
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    Default SANDF has lost 51 firearms over the last three years

    Written by defenceWeb Wednesday, 05 September 2012 12:55


    The South African National Defence Force has lost or had stolen 51 firearms since 2009, including 38 assault rifles, according to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.

    Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula stated that 51 firearms, including a machine gun and a grenade launcher, have been lost by or stolen from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) since 2009. This emerged in response to a parliamentary question posed by Pieter Groenewald of the opposition Freedom Front Plus party, who is its chief spokesperson on defence.

    “What is the most worrying is that 38 of the 50 firearms are automatic assault rifles such as R5, R4 and R1 firearms and one RPK 7.62 mm machine gun,” Groenewald said. “In only two months (Apr –May) of this year 9 automatic assault rifles were stolen or lost (3 x R4 and 6 x R5). Six R5 assault rifles have disappeared from the Air Force. It is precisely this type of weapon which is used in transit heists but is now also being used in robberies at shopping malls and even in farm attacks.”

    Firearm losses in the Department of Defence:
    Type and Calibre Fin year 2009/10 Fin year 2010/11 Fin year 2011/12 April and May 2012
    SA Army
    Rifle 5,56mm, R4 3 7 7 3
    Rifle 5,56mm, R5 1
    Pistol 9mm 2 1
    Pistol Z88 1
    Rifle 7,62mm, R1 1
    Rifle 7,70mm .303 1 1
    Rifle .22 1
    Rifle 7,62mm, R2 1
    Sub Machine gun 9mm 1
    Rifle 7,62mm Simonov 1
    Machine gun RPK 7,62mm 1
    Launcher, grenade 40mm 1
    Total SA Army 4 17 10 3
    SAAF
    Pistols 9mm 2
    Rifle 5,56mm, R5 1 6
    Rifle 5,56mm, R4 2
    Total SAAF 2 3 6
    SA Navy
    Pistol 9mm Beretta 1
    Total SA Navy 1
    SA Military Health Service
    Rifle 5,56mm, R5 2
    Total SAMHS 2
    Joint Operations
    Pistols 9mm 1
    Pistol Sauer 9mm 1
    Rifle 5,56mm, R5 1
    Total J OPS 1 1 1
    Total per financial year 7 20 15 9


    Mapisa-Nqakula in her reply to the parliamentary question stated that a number of measures are being taken to prevent firearm losses, including issuing weapon permits for all weapons on personal issue (i.e. Military Police and VIP protection).

    The minister added that regular inspections are done as part of unit standing orders to effectively verify and control weapons; stock verification is done on a regular basis to ensure compliance with requirements of policy; and a central firearms control register is kept and verified with the South African Police Service’s firearms control register as a measure to control losses.

    She went on to state that the Department of Defence (DoD) is currently bar-coding all firearms with dot peen machines in order to identify firearms as DoD property and to ensure compliance in accordance to the Firearms Control Act. “The bar-coding will enhance verification of all firearms belonging to the DoD. A total of 40 000 firearms have already been dot peened (bar-coded).” Mapisa-Nqakula stated that the bar-coding project was scheduled for completion by the end of August 2012. After that the bar-coding of the rest of the firearms in the DoD will be rolled out.

    Groenewald said that he was concerned with the minister’s reply, as the stated precautionary measures in place “are the same measures the [former] minister stated to be in place in her reply in 2010 to a similar question I posed. That means that there is poor management and poor discipline in the control of firearms in the SANDF.”

    “The Minister has to state whether disciplinary steps will be instituted against the members who were in charge of the firearms. The current system promotes crime because this type of weapon cannot be owned by members of the public and can only be obtained from the Defence Force or the Police. I will definitely be asking follow-up questions in Parliament of the Minister about disciplinary steps,” Groenewald said.

    In 2010, then Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu said that in 2009, DoD firearms losses included five 9 mm pistols; six 5.56 mm rifles; seven 7.62 mm rifles; one 7.70 mm rifle; six 0.22 (5.56 mm) rifles; four 60 mm mortars; one 81 mm mortar; three 88 mm rocket launchers (probably out of service bazookas); two 40 mm grenade launchers; and one 70 mm rocket launcher (most likely a pod for air-to-ground rockets).

    Sisulu stated that that 142 weapons had gone missing in 2007, seven in 2008 and 36 in 2009.

    http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.ph...NDF&Itemid=108

  2. #2
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    Default Re: SANDF has lost 51 firearms over the last three years

    Frightening.....

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    Default Re: SANDF has lost 51 firearms over the last three years



    Are you sure those numbers aren't in 1000's?

    Last year they were missing 82 000...
    [b]Be ready for anything, and if his head is not at least two meters away from the body, do not 'assume' he is dead and out of the fight.[/b] [I]- Ikor[/I]

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    Default Re: SANDF has lost 51 firearms over the last three years

    I have to agree with JS4, figures dont add up, I have a buddy who was in 7 Med, it was either 2008 or 2009 that the unit on its own lost 1 x GMPG, 1 x fully equiped ambulance about 50 sidearms and a good number of assult rifles (cant rember the exact ammount he told me), if you take the number of R series rifles involved in crime, its either the same 50 odd BG's traveling all over the country or Police have alot of explaining to do about their firearm control procedures...

  5. #5
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    Default Re: SANDF has lost 51 firearms over the last three years

    I guess the 51 firearms lost are the ones that have turned up somewhere in a crime or something.
    The rest are just "misplaced" or temporarily offsite".

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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JS4 View Post


    Are you sure those numbers aren't in 1000's?

    Last year they were missing 82 000...
    You're probably thinking of SAPS figures. That's over and above this

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    Default Re: SANDF has lost 51 firearms over the last three years

    Quote Originally Posted by Blunderbuss View Post
    I guess the 51 firearms lost are the ones that have turned up somewhere in a crime or something.
    The rest are just "misplaced" or temporarily offsite".
    You guys are forgetting the "rental stock"....

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    Default Re: SANDF has lost 51 firearms over the last three years

    Quote Originally Posted by curious george View Post
    You guys are forgetting the "rental stock"....
    LOL Eish!

    But wait, it's the licenced guys that are jumping through hoops to make sure that they are competent, while the DoD and SAPS can "misplace" thousands of firearms with no repercussions.
    Why pray tell are Gun Free SA not jumping up and down and shouting at them?
    Does this mean Gun Free SA is ok with police and military allowing firearms to fall into criminal hands but not when a civvie looses one under duress?
    Interesting.....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lone Ranger View Post
    You're probably thinking of SAPS figures. That's over and above this
    Nope. Follow the link in my first post, that was for the SANDF.
    [b]Be ready for anything, and if his head is not at least two meters away from the body, do not 'assume' he is dead and out of the fight.[/b] [I]- Ikor[/I]

  10. #10
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    Default Re: SANDF has lost 51 firearms over the last three years

    *A media perspective,linking these to crime.

    http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-cour...fles-1.1377346

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