Eastern Cape police say its operational members are handling their firearms safely with no reports or complaints regarding the handling of firearms.
That's the official word from provincial police management in response to a damning statement from the group Afriforum.
The organisation said on Thursday that parts of a leaked internal audit report indicates that 47% of police officers in the Eastern Cape are not competent to carry or handle firearms.
Afriforum says says the leaked document further indicates that nationally there are 17% of permanent police officers who have not yet received competence training or who have not yet succeeded in passing their firearm competence tests.
It says it will now use the Promotion of Access to Information Act to get hold of the full report.
Here is the full statement issued by Afriforum on Thursday:
Parts of the last in-depth internal audit report (2012) regarding training within the South African Police Service (SAPS) which was provided to AfriForum by an anonymous source indicates that 47% of police officers in the Eastern Cape are not competent to carry or handle firearms.
“That means that more than 7 500 police officers are illegally walking around with firearms,” says Ian Cameron, Head of Community Safety at AfriForum.
Cameron is of the opinion that the police are acting in contradiction with the law on police and firearms by allowing this.
“The report further indicates that nationally there are 17% of permanent police officers who have not yet received competence training or who have not yet succeeded in passing their competence tests. However, the majority of these officers are still carrying firearms.”
AfriForum will this week submit a PAIA-application along with a complaint to the Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane, to obtain the internal audit report regarding police training within the SAPS.
AfriForum will also submit an application to obtain all the latest statistics that are available regarding training within the SAPS.
ENDS
