Drakenstein Municipality denies illegal firearms possession claims

THE DA-led Drakenstein Municipality has dismissed as misinformation claims that it was illegally in possession of 64 firearms in violation of the Firearms Control Act.

The GOOD Party had sounded the alarm that the municipality had allegedly never applied for recognition as an official institution after the Firearms Control Act came into force on 1 July 2004. 

 GOOD councillor Keagen Gertse said the municipality was in breach of Schedule 1 of the Act, which “required non-recognised institutions to surrender such firearms to SAPS”.

“Drakenstein is not authorised to own, store, or use firearms. Yet, it continues to do all three, with full knowledge of the law and in blatant defiance of it. This revelation raises serious concerns about the safety of residents and the credibility of the DA’s governance. How can the same party summon SAPS to Parliament over gun crime when its own municipality is hoarding illegal weapons and potentially using them for training or operational purposes?

“The GOOD Party can confirm that Drakenstein Municipality never applied for recognition as an official institution after the Firearms Control Act came into force on 1 July 2004. Instead, it has continued to unlawfully possess an arsenal of weapons, for 21 years, in breach of Schedule 1 of the Act, which required non-recognised institutions to surrender such firearms to SAPS,” said Gertse. 

He said GOOD will be “tabling this matter in the relevant oversight forums and demanding that SAPS act swiftly to seize these illegal firearms”. 

However, according to the municipality they had been authorised by police to be in possession of firearms and ammunition. 

 “The allegation that Drakenstein Municipality is in possession of illegal firearms is deprived of any truth and aims to bring the Municipality in disrepute, which is regrettable. Misinformation spread in this regard is not only reckless but also very irresponsible. The Municipality is authorised by the South African Police Service or SAPS (the delegated authority of the National Commissioner) to be in possession of firearms and ammunition in terms of the law, and firearms are kept and managed in line with prevailing rules and legislation. Regular firearms inspections are carried out by SAPS, of which the latest one was done by the SAPS Provincial Office on 7 June 2025,” the municipality said. 

Gertse said the visit from SAPS was not a regular firearms inspection, “it was as part of the Municipality's application to become an official institution in terms of the Firearms Control Act, 2000”. 

“There exists no alternative legal framework in which a Municipality can own or be in possession of firearms or ammunition, outside of being an official institution and registered in the national Registrar or by authorisation from the National Commissioner. It was admitted in a Portfolio Committee that they did opt to apply for recognition when the Firearms Control Act came into effect and are only exploring this avenue now as they want to procure new firearms,” he said.  

Western Cape police were unable to answer questions seeking confirmation of the inspection and what authorisation the municipality did have and when it was obtained. 

They also asked to be provided with a case number and where it was registered to source correct information. 

DA Western Cape leader, Tertuis Simmers said the issue was a governance matter which the Drakenstein Municipality had responded to. 

“On 7 June 2025 SAPS inspected and gave the Drakenstein Municipality and its Law Enforcement, who use firearms, a thumbs up,” he said.

Cape Times