Breach at Ulundi K9 unit: rifles, pistols and tactical kit stolen amid security gaps

A security breach at the Ulundi K9 Unit in KwaZulu-Natal revealed major gaps in safeguards after a cache of firearms and tactical equipment was stolen, Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia told Parliament.

What was taken

Cachalia said the theft, which occurred between February 15 and 16, involved a range of weapons, ammunition and equipment. Stolen items listed by the minister include:

• one rifle
• one shotgun
• four pistols
• 152 x 9mm live rounds
• 290 x R5 live rounds
• three empty R5 magazines
• six empty 9mm magazines
• 13 handcuffs and 30 handcuff keys
• five torches
• two SAPS bulletproof vests, one SAPS cap and one SAPS jacket
• two pairs of police safety boots (sizes 7 and 8)

Security failures at the facility

Cachalia told the Select Committee on Security that, although “all access doors to the premises were secured at the time of the incident,” the facility lacked basic security measures. There were no burglar guards, no alarm system and no CCTV (internal or external) installed, he said.

The minister also said firearms had been kept in a “designated strong room (walk-in safe) measuring approximately two square metres.”

Investigation under way

A multidisciplinary team including Visible Policing, Detectives and Crime Intelligence was established to investigate, identify possible suspects and recover the stolen items. Cachalia said Crime Intelligence “has initiated engagements with sources and contacts to determine potential involvement.”

Provincial and Unit Management were engaged by the investigating officer assigned from the Richards Bay Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). The minister said the investigation is ongoing and that there have not been any arrests or recoveries of firearms.

On internal responsibility, Cachalia said: “At this stage, no internal negligence has been confirmed. However, the possibility of internal collusion or interference cannot be excluded and will be further examined during the ongoing criminal investigation conducted by the DPCI.”

Parliamentary exchange and calls for action

The minister’s response followed an inquiry initiated by DA NCOP Security and Justice member Mzamo Billy, who had written to Select Committee chairperson Jane Mananiso. Billy warned that the stolen firearms “have put lives at risk, but no one has been held accountable.”

“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.”

Billy also questioned the lack of accountability in Cachalia’s response and highlighted national figures recorded in the minister’s reply: “3,146 SAPS firearms have been stolen or lost nationally over the past five financial years, with only 559 recovered.”

He called for an urgent security audit of firearm storage facilities and specialised units across the province, immediate strengthening of security where vulnerabilities exist, accountability for officials whose negligence contributed to the incident, and regular updates on the investigation and recovery of the stolen firearms.

Regulation and oversight

Cachalia noted that National Instruction 6 of 2018 – Management of Movable Government Property in the Service, specifically Chapter 10 (Official Firearms and Ammunition), is in place to regulate the use and safekeeping of SAPS-owned firearms.

The investigation by the DPCI and efforts to recover the stolen items are continuing, with no arrests or recoveries reported so far.