Burglary at Ulundi SAPS K9 Unit

Statement by Mzamo Billy MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice:

Firearms stolen from a SAPS storage facility in February have put lives at risk, yet no one appears to have been held accountable.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has confirmed that four pistols, one R5 rifle, one shotgun, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, police uniforms, bulletproof vests, handcuffs and other SAPS equipment were stolen during a burglary at the Ulundi K9 Unit. Even more concerning is the admission that the facility had no alarm system, no CCTV surveillance and no burglar guards at the time of the break-in.

This represents a catastrophic failure of basic security.

It reveals that critical police infrastructure responsible for safeguarding state firearms has itself been left vulnerable.

The fact that a SAPS firearm storage facility in KwaZulu-Natal was operating without an alarm system, CCTV or burglar guards is deeply alarming. These are not minor administrative failures; they are fundamental security failures that place communities at greater risk.

Equally concerning is the absence of accountability. The Acting Minister’s response provides no indication that any official has been suspended or subjected to disciplinary proceedings for allowing such glaring security deficiencies to exist. South Africans deserve to know who was responsible for ensuring this facility met the required security standards and why these failures were allowed to persist.

The response also raises further questions. While it states that there have been no similar incidents involving the theft of SAPS-owned firearms, it also records that 3,146 SAPS firearms have been stolen or lost nationally over the past five financial years, with only 559 recovered. This contradiction requires clarification.

The DA will continue to pursue this matter through Parliament until clear answers are provided.

We therefore call for SAPS management in KwaZulu-Natal to:

• Conduct an urgent security audit of firearm storage facilities and specialised units across the province.
• Immediately strengthen security measures at police facilities where vulnerabilities exist.
• Hold accountable any officials whose negligence contributed to this incident.
• Provide regular updates on the investigation and the recovery of the stolen firearms.

KwaZulu-Natal continues to experience some of the highest levels of violent crime in the country. At a time when communities need a capable and professional police service that catches criminals, convicts them, and cleans up, it is unacceptable that SAPS cannot adequately secure its own firearms. Restoring confidence in policing requires more than investigations, it requires decisive action, accountability and a commitment to fixing the systemic weaknesses that oversight continues to uncover.