ULUNDI, South Africa — Suspects forced their way into the Logistics Office at the Ulundi K9 Unit in northern KwaZulu-Natal, making off with a cache of weapons and ammo from a strong room. An officer discovered the break-in Monday morning after spotting the office door ajar. Police confirmed the back door had been pried open, with intruders accessing the strong room by ripping off part of its roof.

Among the stolen items: one R5 rifle, one shotgun, four pistols, 152 pistol rounds, 290 R5 rounds, 13 handcuffs, three empty R5 magazines and six empty pistol magazines. Ulundi police have opened a theft case. An internal inquiry is under way to check for breaches in firearm security protocols or staff negligence.

Dr. Stanley Maphosa, executive director of Gun Free South Africa, called the heist a major red flag for public safety. “When guns are stolen from state custody, it represents a serious breach in the firearms control management system and directly increases the risk to the public,” he said.

South African Police Service data for 2023/24 shows 9,193 firearms lost or stolen nationwide — 25 per day. Police accounted for 741 of those losses, or two daily. Civilians reported 8,452. Maphosa pointed out that illegal guns mostly trace back to legal owners, either state or private.

“Every gun diverted from legal custody into the illegal pool fuels violent crime,” Maphosa said. Firearms featured in 44% of murders last year, he added, driving South Africa’s high homicide rate.

The haul from Ulundi points to deliberate resupplying of criminal groups, according to Maphosa. The R5 rifle stands out: a military-grade weapon built for semi-automatic and automatic fire. “Such firearms have historically been diverted into gang and organised crime networks when controls break down,” he said.

Maphosa urged investigators to probe both outside criminals and inside failures. “It raises legitimate concerns about possible internal breaches, corruption, or negligence,” he said. Police must enforce the Firearms Control Act’s safe storage rules, he added.

Thieves grabbed empty magazines too — key for keeping R5s firing rapidly. “Taking empty magazines indicates planning,” Maphosa said. “It suggests the perpetrators intended to ensure that the stolen firearms remain operational and usable over time.” That hints at distribution to crime syndicates, where parts fetch high value.

Better inventory tracking for guns, ammo and components could prevent such leaks, Maphosa argued. The Ulundi case bolsters Gun Free South Africa’s push for a forensic audit of police firearm systems. The group also wants tougher enforcement of the Firearms Control Act and passage of the Firearms Control Amendment Bill to plug gaps.

“Recover illegal firearms and control legal firearms. That is how we reduce diversion, protect communities, and save lives,” Maphosa said. Police have yet to release suspect details or recovery updates.