The Role of Firearms in Crime in South Africa

This research paper analyzes 787 police dockets to examine the nature of firearm-related crime in South Africa, highlighting the role of both legal and illegal weapons and the limitations of police investigations.

• Firearm-related crime is increasing significantly in South Africa, involving both legal and illegal firearms. The study's analysis of 787 police dockets revealed that police dockets are limited as a data source due to incomplete evidence.
• Robbery and theft contribute significantly to the illegal firearm pool, with eight out of every ten common robberies resulting in a legal firearm becoming illegal. Most armed robberies take place on business premises, and handguns are the primary weapon used in both armed robberies and hijackings, though hijackings result in slightly more injuries.
• The recovery rate for stolen firearms is low, often because victims store firearms inappropriately and reporting rates are low. Police detection of common robberies is also low due to the element of surprise used by offenders.
• Firearms are the primary tool for committing murder in South Africa, a crime category that sees high rates of police detection and conviction. In contrast, attempted murders are more common in residential areas and typically occur in the evenings or after hours.
• Incidents involving the pointing or illegal discharge of firearms in public or built-up areas often result in injuries, even if not intended. Specifically, 21.2% of victims are injured when a firearm is pointed, and 17.2% are injured during the illegal discharge of a firearm.

APA

Hennop, E., & Potgiete, J. (n.d.). The Role of Firearms in Crime in South Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-55-the-role-of-firearms-in-crime-in-south-africa-a-detailed-analysis-of-police-dockets-by-ettienne-hennop-jakkie-potgiete

Chicago

Hennop, Ettienne, and Jakkie Potgiete. The Role of Firearms in Crime in South Africa. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-55-the-role-of-firearms-in-crime-in-south-africa-a-detailed-analysis-of-police-dockets-by-ettienne-hennop-jakkie-potgiete.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hennop |first1=Ettienne |last2=Potgiete |first2=Jakkie |title=The Role of Firearms in Crime in South Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-55-the-role-of-firearms-in-crime-in-south-africa-a-detailed-analysis-of-police-dockets-by-ettienne-hennop-jakkie-potgiete |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hennopndrole, author = {Hennop, Ettienne and Potgiete, Jakkie}, title = {{The Role of Firearms in Crime in South Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-55-the-role-of-firearms-in-crime-in-south-africa-a-detailed-analysis-of-police-dockets-by-ettienne-hennop-jakkie-potgiete}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }