A break-in at a South African National Defence Force facility in Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria, has caused alarm after weapons, including rifles and a grenade launcher, were stolen in what officials say is a major security breach.
The burglary, discovered in late April but only recently reported, saw suspects breach the perimeter and force entry into a storage area, state broadcaster SABC reported on Monday.
A criminal case has been opened, with investigations underway involving military police and the South African Police Service.
Chairperson of Parliament’s defence committee, Dakota Legoete, issued a stark warning, saying the incident represents a serious escalation in the country’s ongoing crime crisis.
“This does not only border on criminality—it borders on terrorism and poses a direct threat to our national security,” Legoete said. “We are talking about high-calibre weapons that can flatten shopping malls, destroy homes and even fuel civil conflict, now in the hands of criminal elements. The country is not safe.”
History of crime
The incident comes against the backdrop of persistently high crime levels in South Africa. According to the latest SAPS crime statistics, more than 27,000 murders were recorded in the 2023/24 financial year—an average of about 76 people killed every day.
Police data also shows that firearms remain central to violent crime. In one recent quarter alone, 6,953 murders were recorded, with nearly half committed using guns. In early 2025, firearms were again used in almost half of the 5,727 murders recorded in just three months
Against this backdrop, Legoete said the theft of military-grade weapons significantly heightens the risk to public safety.
“We do not know what they are planning, and that is what makes this even more dangerous,” he said. “This is not the first time we are here.”
He pointed to a 2018 incident in which stolen military firearms were later used in a cash-in-transit heist, warning that repeated breaches point to systemic failures.
