Earn up to R 5 000 when you report where illegal firearms can be found
Today, at the Delft South African Police Station, and as part of his 1st anniversary in office, Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen relaunched the much-anticipated reward system to encourage the public to report the whereabouts of illegal firearms. Minister Allen was joined by the Western Cape Deputy Police Commissioner, Major-General Manci.
Joined by the Western Cape Deputy Police Commissioner, Major-General Manci, Minister Allen reactivated the initiative which was first launched by Premier Alan Winde in 2019 when he was the Minister of Community Safety in the Western Cape.
The reward system seeks residents to report the location of illegal firearms by dialing 021 466 0011. The person reporting the firearm can do so anonymously, or they can share their details with the trusted SAPS officers that will field the calls. The details of the person reporting the firearms will under no circumstances be made public. Upon reporting the firearm, it will be collected by SAPS. Once it is confirmed as an illegal firearm, R 1 500.00 will be awarded to the individual who reported it. When an arrest is made that is directly linked to the firearm, a further R 1 500.00 will be paid to the person who reported it and should there be a conviction that is tied to the firearm, the balance of R 2 000.00 will be paid out to the person who made the report.
Minister Reagen Allen said: “I want the public at large to use this opportunity to help us get these illegal firearms off our streets. Our hope is that this will serve as enough encouragement so that we can make our streets safer. During the first ten weeks of 2023, shootings accounted for 44% of homicides, which is the highest cause of murders in the province. During the third quarter, October 2022 to December 2022, of the 2022/23 financial year, firearms were also the instrument used to commit 47,8% of all murders, which was also the highest during the period.”
Minister Reagen Allen added: “Part of the reason why we are launching this initiative in Delft, is because it is currently third on the top 30 murder station list across the country, and second in the province behind Mfuleni. We have worked hard to ensure that processes are in place so that when a report comes in, all protocol is followed. These protocols will assist SAPS in taking illegal guns off our streets and out of the hands of criminals.”
“To create greater awareness, we will now ensure that posters explaining the initiative are placed in every police station across the province. However, one of the best ways to reach our communities is by SAPS members sharing this news far and wide. We sincerely hope that this will lead to a large number of calls and reports about where these illegal firearms are. We all have a role to play and now though this programme every resident can be a part of the solution,” Minister Allen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Media Enquiries:
Marcellino Martin
Spokesperson for Minister Reagen Allen
Marcellino.martin@westerncape.gov.za
082 721 3362 (m)