South Africa's gun violence crisis is being fueled by a combination of stolen police firearms, missing civilian guns, and smuggled weapons from neighboring countries like Namibia. These weapons flow easily through the country, often first entering Cape Town before spreading to other areas where they are used in gang violence, robberies, and other violent crimes.
A staggering number of firearms have been reported lost or stolen over the past decade, including over 7,000 police-issued weapons, many of which are never recovered. Gun Free SA's Claire Taylor notes that while cross-border smuggling still plays a role, it has diminished significantly since the 1990s. The majority of illegal firearms now circulate within South Africa itself...