Cape Town grapples with illegal firearms: Only 5% of cases lead to convictions

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis unpacked the City's case-tracking data at a briefing in Hanover Park on 22 May together with Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.
Image: Supplied
Cape Town municipal officers have confiscated 1,670 illegal firearms between 2021 and January 2025; however, only 81 of these cases have resulted in convictions, raising concerns about what the City describes as a failing criminal justice system.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis revealed the figures during a safety briefing in Hanover Park on Thursday, stating that while City policing operations are successfully removing hundreds of illegal guns from the streets every year, the vast majority of these cases collapse before trial.
'Our investments to grow policing operations are now resulting in over 400 illegal firearms confiscated annually,' Hill-Lewis said.
'These efforts should lead to the removal of hundreds of violent criminals from society each year, but a broken criminal justice system has so far secured convictions in just 5% of the 1,670 cases.'
City data shows that nearly 50% of cases were rejected by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) due to insufficient evidence or poor prospects for prosecution.
In many others, delays are caused by outstanding ballistics or DNA reports, and cases waiting for an NPA decision to prosecute. Some suspects have even remained at large for years despite warrants of arrest being issued.
The City believes a significant part of the problem stems from the fact that municipal officers are prohibited from investigating or compiling criminal dockets.
Hill-Lewis now calls on the National Police Minister to devolve investigative powers to City police officers under the SAPS Act.
'We have the necessary policing resources which are immediately available to help police and prosecutors dramatically raise conviction rates,' he said.
'We stand ready to help gain more convictions for the sake of long-suffering communities where the poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit by violent crime.'
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, said the lack of SAPS resources is crippling gun crime cases.
'It is important to note that there are killers still walking free even after being caught as far back as 2021, simply because SAPS lacks the capacity to complete the dockets necessary to go to trial and win,' Smith said.
The City has since introduced training for its officers in statement writing and docket preparation and established a Safety and Security Investigations Unit (SSIU) to assist with building stronger cases.
Cape Town is also investing heavily in crime-fighting infrastructure, including a R800 million rollout of gunshot detection, bodycams, dashcams, drones and the EPIC digital coordination system, but says none of it will matter if convictions remain this low.
'We're doing our part. SAPS must do theirs,' said Hill-Lewis.
'The devolution of investigative powers is not a political demand; it is a practical solution to a deadly problem.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Eyewitness News

5 hours ago

• Eyewitness News

Investigating Directorate to submit fresh extradition application for Guptas

Cape TOWN - The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) says it will submit a fresh extradition application to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Gupta brothers for additional State capture matters. This is despite the lack of success to date, in trying to get the brothers to face trial in South Africa in the Estina dairy farm and Nulane cases. On Wednesday, IDAC head Andrea Johnson told Parliament in the interest of justice and given the public interest in these matters, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) won't give up, even though diplomatic efforts to understand the shortcomings have been ignored. The failure of the State to successfully extradite Gupta brothers Atul and Rajesh has been a blight on the NPA's progress in prosecuting State capture matters. But Johnson told Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) that despite not knowing where it's gone wrong in previous attempts, it will once again be submitting an extradition application. 'We have now, however, taken a decision to submit new applications with additional matters.' She says 12 diplomatic notes (notes verbales) to the UAE government to understand why previous applications have failed, have been met with silence. 'How do you resubmit, when you've submitted a full set of papers, properly checked by themselves? So, it does put you in somewhat of a predicament. Do you now send these papers to be a so-called failed attempt again?' NPA head Shamila Batohi says by and large the authority is successful in extradition applications in other countries, but the UAE has proven particularly difficult.

The South African

20 hours ago

• The South African

'She is still alive': Joslin Smith hope renewed

The National Prosecuting Authority has renewed hope that little Joslin Smith is still alive despite being missing for over a year. The Salanha Bay girl's disappearance has sparked a national, and even international, rescue effort. Her mother, Kelly Smith, and two others – Jacquin 'Boeta' Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn – have since been convicted and sentenced for kidnapping and child trafficking. Speaking in a webinar this week, NPA prosecutor Zelda Swanepoel shared her beliefs about Joslin Smith. Earlier this month, Swapepoel helped the state to convict Joslin's mother, Kelly Smith, the latter's boyfriend, Jacquin 'Boeta' Appollis, and their pal, Steveno van Rhyn. A life sentence for trafficking and kidnapping was handed down by Western Cape High Court judge, Nathan Erasmus. She said of the search for the missing girl: 'We have done a comprehensive search in Saldanha of all the exhibits. 'Everything that was found in all of those dunes, all the bones, all the clothing, was analysed, there were no positive DNA results found on anything. She continued: 'I'm convinced that she is still alive. However, I don't know where she is. I can only hope we find her.' Will Kelly Smith ever reveal where her daughter Joslin is? The Saldanha Bay girl went missing on 19 February 2024. Images via YouTube screenshot: SABC Swanepoel added that Joslin's case was the first prosecution she had worked on where the missing child had not been found. She added that much of the case hung on the state witness Lourentia Lombaard. The NPA was also banking on the possibility that Joslin's mother would testify. 'We were always hopeful during the trial that the accused would come and testify in the main trial. The plan was to destroy their credibility and demonstrate the improbabilities in their versions. Yes, their decision to remain silent, especially Kelly, was very disappointing,' she added. Meanwhile, Joslin's mother Kelly Smith as well as Appollis and van Rhyn have filed their notices this week for leave to appeal their convictions and sentences. The NPA are also awaiting the fate of the state witness Lourentia Lombaard, whose verdict will be announced by Judge Erasmus at an appointed date. A 204 inquiry will determine if Lombaard will be granted indemnity based on her testimony. If the court does find that Lombaard did not testify truthfully, she could face prosecution for perjury and related charges. Lombaard previously stated under oath that Joslin's mother, Kelly Smith, allegedly sold her to a sangoma for R20 000. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.

eNCA

a day ago

• eNCA

Katlego Bereng's mother pleads for justice

BLOEMFONTEIN - A grieving mother is desperate to know why her son died, and why his body ended up in Thabo Bester's cell. Katlego Bereng's body was planted in the cell as part of the rapist and murderer's elaborate escape. The NPA dropped charges of murder against the accused in the Bester escape due to insufficient evidence. But Bereng's mother is convinced those in the dock killed her son. The state is alleging that Nandipha Magudumana claimed Bereng's body under false pretences, with the help of Zimbabwean Zanda Moyo. A post-mortem report said Bereng died of unnatural causes. His family hopes the trial will reveal how he died.