South Africa and Lesotho destroy 1,787 seized firearms

A total of 1 787 firearms seized during crime-fighting operations in Lesotho have been destroyed through a joint initiative between SAPS and the Lesotho Mounted Police Service.

South African and Lesotho police have destroyed 1,787 firearms seized during crime-fighting operations in Lesotho as the neighbouring countries intensify efforts to stop illegal weapons from feeding violent and organised crime across the border.

The Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) confiscated the firearms during various targeted operations and transported them to South Africa for destruction as part of a joint operation with the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Acting SAPS National Commissioner, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, and Lesotho Police Chief, Commissioner Borotho Matsoso, presided over the destruction on Friday, September 11.

Police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said the operation formed part of sustained efforts to permanently remove seized weapons from circulation and prevent them from finding their way back into criminal hands.

The destruction comes amid efforts by authorities in both countries to strengthen cooperation against crimes that operate across their shared border, including vehicle theft, stock theft, human trafficking and the movement of illicit firearms.

Matsoso said cooperation between the two police services was critical to tackling crimes that could not be effectively fought by either country in isolation.

“Continued cooperation between the Lesotho Mounted Police Service and the SAPS is important to uproot crimes such as human trafficking, stock theft, car theft and truck trafficking,” Matsoso said.

“Today’s destruction demonstrates collaboration between two countries committed to fighting crime together.”

The INTERPOL National Central Bureaus in South Africa and Lesotho coordinated the movement of the firearms between the two countries.

The operation also involved broader cooperation through joint investigations, intelligence sharing, coordinated border management, and the tracing of illegal firearms.

Dimpane said removing the weapons was aimed at ensuring they could no longer contribute to crime and violence in communities.

“As we observe African Amnesty Month, this partnership between SAPS and the Lesotho Mounted Police Service demonstrates what regional cooperation can achieve,” she said.

“We are not only taking firearms out of circulation; we are taking concrete steps towards the Africa we want to see by 2063, an Africa where communities are safer and where illicit firearms no longer fuel crime and violence.”