Firearms and knives were the weapons used the most to commit murder, according to the third quarter crime statistics for Gauteng, South Africa.
Recent crime states show that guns are the leading cause of death in Gauteng, with almost 50 percent of all murders in the third quarter being committed using a firearm.
On Tuesday, Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela presented the third quarter crime statistics before the Gauteng legislature at Gold Reef City, in Johannesburg.
The stats cover the three-month period between 1 October and 31 December.
Firearms and knives were the weapons used the most to commit murder, according to the third quarter crime statistics for Gauteng.
Murders in the province increased by 151 compared to the previous quarter last year and by 487 compared to the third quarter of 2019, the last festive season before the coronavirus pandemic.
Mawela said that the proliferation of illegal firearms had worsened the problem.
“And it doesn’t mean the firearms used are all illegal firearms. There are people who are in possession of licensed firearms and they are using these firearms in the wrong way.”
Mawela has appealed to licensed firearm owners to take care of their firearms and use them responsibly.
