Police Officers Failing the Firearms Test Need to Return Weapons Immediately

Media Statement by Dan Plato, Minister of Community Safety

Following the information released in a draft performance audit and published in the weekend media about police officers who have failed the firearms proficiency test but are still on active duty, I will be requesting, as a matter of urgency, that Western Cape Police Commissioner, General Arno Lamoer, intervene and remove all firearms from unqualified officers.

Acting National Police Chief, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has already said that he would charge the responsible commander and would want to know from the provincial commissioner why that police officer was allowed to carry a firearm. I will be asking General Lamoer for a copy of this report, so that we can ensure this situation never happens again in the Western Cape.

I will be requesting General Lamoer to ensure that the officers who have failed the firearms proficiency test will return their weapons immediately and re-do the test to a satisfactory level before being re-issued with firearms.

Of the 1 019 police members who failed the firearms proficiency test in the Western Cape, 448 were reportedly declared "un-trainable" due to medical reasons or being declared unfit to be in possession of a firearm. There must be a crack in the administrative system if these officers have still been issued with firearms, and I will be asking how this happened and what is being done to repair the situation.

I will request further information from General Lamoer in my meeting with him on Monday morning, 5 March 2012, and how he plans to prevent further incompetent police officers from being employed to protect our society.

These few individuals pose a great risk to the thousands of competent, trained and qualified police officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our citizens.