The South African Police Service was unable to tell Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police on Wednesday exactly how many of its officers are not competent to carry firearms. (Rajesh Jantilal/AFP via Getty Images)
The South African Police Service (SAPS) could not tell Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police on Wednesday exactly how many of its officers do not have the ability to carry firearms, but said new technology could help combat crime in the country. He said he was confident that it would improve the fighting situation. .
Police are developing a new firearms management system to replace the troubled Enhanced Firearms Registration System.
One of the key features of the new system is that individuals will be able to apply for and pay for firearms licenses online, and that licensed firearms dealers will be able to submit their declarations electronically. Users will also have a profile that allows them to monitor the progress of the application.
The current system and the new system will run concurrently until the complete migration is complete.
The new Firearms Control Management System, expected to be fully operational by the end of March 2026, was one of a number of updates police provided to the committee on Wednesday, and how technology will improve police enforcement. It was also explained how it can be strengthened and strengthened.
But when Democratic Alliance Committee member Diane Kohler Barnard asked twice how many officers did not have firearms eligibility certificates or had failed firearms tests, senior police officials who were present no one could answer. They said the answers would be “submitted in writing” once they were retrieved from the “system.”
In 2015, Kohler-Barnard caused controversy when he said that 40,000 police officers lacked certification or had failed their certification exams.
Lt. Gen. Edith Nonkululeko Mavundula, SAPS Commissioner for Technology and Management Services, gave a presentation to the committee about the new technology, including the budget and specific costs of the plan, which includes advanced crime-fighting technology such as body cameras and dashboard cameras. I didn't mention it. , an artificial intelligence-driven system.
However, Mavandra said that while the police's current information and communication technology is “adequate and maintained”, it requires “progressive expansion and upgrading to keep up with technological evolution and its inevitable demands”. said.
“We are upgrading our technology infrastructure. Yes, austerity has delayed the upgrade, but we are able to operate on that particular infrastructure at the moment,” she said.
She said SAPS was working on a pilot program involving 41 body-worn cameras and that police were evaluating different body-worn camera solutions from suppliers.
This was done as a “proof of concept” to help SAPS determine specifications and requirements for widespread deployment of body-worn cameras across police agencies.
He said remotely piloted aircraft are used for aerial surveillance during large-scale events and rescue operations. He said drones have helped reduce risk to police officers by allowing them to cover dangerous or restricted areas, but they can also be difficult to retain skilled personnel such as drone pilots. I admitted it.
Economic Freedom Fighters Committee member Molebogen Letlape said considering that many police stations in the region frequently have problems with telephones and signals, and vehicular access is limited or non-existent. , asked what provisions were being made to use improved technology in rural areas.
Mavandra said rural areas “don't have the infrastructure needed to implement new technologies.”
“In rural areas, you may not even be able to find a telecommunications provider in that particular area because that area is not bringing business to telecommunications providers,” she said.
Mavandra said rural areas still need police, but “relevant technology” such as analogues “are still being maintained and upgraded in rural areas”.
Kohler-Bernard expressed concern about historical problems with the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and the lack of fingerprint recognition capacity in countless police departments.
Mavandra said AFIS was used to identify individuals, check for criminal records and determine wanted status in real-time during operations, but it remains unclear whether the problems experienced with AFIS have been fully resolved. Didn't mention it.
ActionSA committee member Dareen James asked if there were any police stations in the country that were fully operational with the current technology and systems that Mr Mavandra talked about.
When Mavandra answered, James accused her of obfuscation. After this, Mavandra said, “Johannesburg Central.”
Regarding facial recognition technology, Mavundla said agreements between police and the private sector, including private security companies that already have large camera networks in place, allow police to rely on technology that “already exists” to avoid duplication. He said that it will definitely be possible to use it.
The goal was to leverage existing infrastructure and databases to enhance police ability to identify and track persons of interest, especially in border areas such as airports.
