'Destroyed' AK47s found

2005-06-10 11:53

Cape Town - The Natural History Museum in Pretoria is being investigated for alleged irregularities pertaining to illegal weapons, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said in parliament on Friday.

Without revealing details of the investigation, Nqakula told the safety and security portfolio committee that "the museum had a lot to answer for".

"We won't divulge further details other than to say they have a case to answer there," he said explaining that functional weapons had been found within the museum that had allegedly been destroyed.

Alluding to "mysterious trucks with muddy tires" being used to transport weapons over rough terrain, Nqakula said investigators had found 32 AK47 assault rifles and 708 other weapons on the premises.

He said of the AK47 assault rifles, four were on record as having been destroyed in 2001, 17 were said to have been destroyed in 2002, one was on record as being sold to an oversees buyer and 10 had disappeared.

Investigators found a further 708 weapons in the museum of which 484 allegedly did not appear on the firearms registry.

He said the investigation had started in February but could not say when it would be concluded.

The museum is the second to land in trouble this year over arms.

In January this year the SA National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg was raided by military police who took away several armoured vehicles that they claimed the institution had irregularly acquired.

Nqakula told the committee that unrelated investigations revealed that certain government departments and municipalities were also in possession of firearms.

"The previous government handed out weapons to many organisations in a very uncontrolled manner," he said.

Weapons

He explained that as part of the drive to remove weapons from society he wanted cooperation from his fellow ministers and for them to hand the weapons over to the police.

"I have in the past appealed to them to hand in any firearms that may be in their (departments) possession but there has not been much of a response," he said.

He said he would again make an appeal in cabinet for their cooperation.

He told the committee that investigators had found the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) owned 486 pistols with no serial numbers, the department of agriculture owned 48 weapons, the department of health owned 244 weapons and various municipal hospitals were in possession of R4 and R5 assault rifles.

"In many cases these weapons have been forgotten about," he said.

Reporting on the success of the general firearms amnesty which ends on June 30, Nqakula said 80 104 firearms had been collected.

He noted, however, that it was amazing what weapons were handed in during the amnesty.

Nqakula said apart from the 106 hand grenades, 23 rifle grenades and 24 mortars bombs received, people also handed over anti-tank missiles and grenades, aircraft rockets and limpet mines.

- SAPA