Nearly half of Rabosotho police members holding expired firearm competency certificates

Almost half of the operational members at Rabosotho police station in Tembisa were recorded as holding expired firearm competency certificates, according to a South African Police Service report dated 9 July.

Scope of the shortfall

The SAPS response, provided after written questions from opposition benches, said the station had 281 operational members. Of those, 130 members’ firearm competency certificates had expired. The report also stated that 92 members still required mandatory operational training and three members were not authorised to carry a firearm.

Crime context at the station

The report noted the station recorded 780 contact crimes between January and March of the year. In national crime rankings for the first quarter, the station was listed sixth for aggravated robbery, 14th for carjacking and 20th for kidnapping. The station was also ranked 24th nationally among stations that detected crime as a result of police action.

Opposition response

“Police officers are entrusted with the authority to make split-second, life-and-death decisions under extreme pressure. Regular competency assessments ensure they can handle service firearms safely and responsibly. Mandatory operational training strengthens tactical decision-making and equips them to respond effectively to violent crime,”

said Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Tembisa South constituency head and member of the provincial legislature.

Firearm competency renewals

The article cited an explanation from a firearms specialist source about renewals under the Firearms Control Act, stating a general rule of thumb that competency certificates are valid for five years if no related firearm licence has been issued in that class of firearm. The example given described how a competency certificate issued in 2015 would typically require renewal in 2020 if no handgun licence application had been submitted.

Where a person had applied for an occasional sporting licence for the firearm, the specialist said the competency would remain valid until the firearm licence itself came up for renewal.