Crime
1Min
South Africa
Oct 27, 2025
Mkhabela, who heads the section at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Silverton, Pretoria, said he currently has more than 29,000 firearms in storage, each connected to a criminal case mostly murders but only 42 analysts available to process them.
The head of the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) ballistics section, Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela, has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the unit is buckling under severe backlogs, staff shortages, and a growing number of unprocessed firearms linked to murder and other violent crimes.
Mkhabela, who heads the section at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Silverton, Pretoria, said he currently has more than 29,000 firearms in storage, each connected to a criminal case mostly murders but only 42 analysts available to process them.
“At any given point, I have more than 29,000 firearms, and each of those firearms is linked to a victim who has been killed. I only have 42 analysts to handle that volume of work,” he said.
He described scenes of overcrowded storerooms, saying the unit had to repurpose a police museum into a firearm safe, which is now full.
“We don’t have space anymore. We receive more than what we can process,” he said.
Mkhabela said the backlog is affecting court proceedings, with some cases postponed for years due to outstanding ballistics reports. Courts have started invoking Section 342A of the Criminal Procedure Act to compel the police to explain delays.
He recalled that a former commander of the ballistics unit was arrested for contempt of court after failing to attend such an inquiry.
He said they spend time in courts explaining why reports are delayed.
Mkhabela said more than 108,000 cases are awaiting review on the Automated Ballistic Identification System (ABIS), a digital database that compares ballistic images to identify firearm linkages.
He explained that KwaZulu-Natal’s large backlog stems from high levels of firearm-related crime combined with low staffing.
“It’s a crime issue. If you check provinces like KZN, there are many firearms. Gauteng also contributes a lot, as well as Mpumalanga with rhino poaching cases. It’s the crime patterns.”
He said the KwaZulu-Natal ballistics unit is forcing some firearm analysts to double up on ABIS work to keep up.
He said frequent court appearances also slow down analysis work. “An analyst may spend several days in court for a testimony that lasts less than an hour,” he said.
Mkhabela said the situation has left his section in crisis. “It’s a very painful reality. The system has the potential to solve crimes quickly, but without enough people, it’s impossible to keep up.”
