Fight against illegal firearms: 5% convictions raises concern

CAPE Town municipal officers have confiscated 1670 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.

- WENDY DONDOLO

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis revealed the figures during a safety briefing in Hanover Park yesterday, 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.”