Two for N$40 000 – Nampol guns fuelling SA gangs
Weapons from Namibia flood SA, Angolan markets
South Africans this week claim that guns allegedly stolen from the Namibian Police continue to enable gang crimes.
Phillipus JosefRundu
Two AK-47 assault rifles for R40 000 – that’s the going rate on southern Africa’s black market, with weapons allegedly stolen from the Namibian police and defence force now circulating from Cape Town to Angola.
The problem is not new. In July 2023, senior officials of the South African Police Service (SAPS) met with Namibian Police inspector-general Joseph Shikongo to strengthen cross-border cooperation. Central to the talks was securing a conviction against a suspect accused of using stolen Namibian police weapons in the multimillion-dollar Phala Phala farm heist at South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s residence.
During the visit, Major General Mathipa Solomon Makgato, head of the Hawks – South Africa’s elite crime-busting unit – revealed that 80 firearms stolen from Nampol’s procurement and logistics division had been confiscated since 2021. Most were recovered from Western Cape gangs, while 12 were found in the possession of Urbanus Shaumbwako, one of the suspects in the 2020 Phala Phala burglary.
Makgato’s delegation also disclosed that some stolen Namibian police weapons had been used in violent crimes in Gauteng. The pistols, engraved with “NPW” for “Namibian Police Weapon,” were not recognised by South African authorities at first, leading to 30 of them being destroyed before their origin was established.
Namibian Sun previously reported that the missing firearms, for which five Nampol officials were arrested, were worth N$4.2 million. The scale and value of weapons stolen from the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) remain unclear.
Expanding black market
Fresh intelligence reports suggest the problem is worsening.
Systemic theft from Namibian armouries, combined with weak enforcement in both Namibia and South Africa, is fuelling a thriving underground trade in pistols, shotguns, Uzis and assault rifles.
“This is not just about a handful of pistols – fully automatic weapons are being traded in bulk,” Aron Hyman, senior analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), told Newzroom Africa this week. “In some cases, Namibian sellers are offering a two-for-one special – two AK-47s for R40 000, the price of one.”
Shifting routes north and south
While southbound smuggling into South Africa remains entrenched, Namibia’s northern routes are also expanding. Police in Kavango East have intercepted weapons and ammunition destined for local criminals before being rerouted into Angola. In one case this year, suspects in Rundu abandoned plans to rob a service station after learning of a police trap. Investigators later linked their weapons – a pistol, shotgun and ammunition – to smuggling networks tied to state stockpiles.
Gangs arming up in Cape Town
The impact in South Africa is stark. Western Cape police commissioner Tembisile Patikile confirmed in February that more than 90 firearms seized in the province could be traced back to Namibia, most of them Nampol-issue pistols.
GI-TOC analysts warn that Namibia’s military stockpiles pose an even greater threat. In August 2024, nine suspects were arrested in Windhoek for allegedly stealing 16 NDF firearms, including AK-47s, reportedly destined for Cape Town. “The availability of fully automatic weapons is rising in Cape Town’s black market,” Hyman cautioned. “The two-for-one AK-47 deal shows just how deep the trade has become.”
Systemic failures
Investigations in Namibia have repeatedly exposed systemic theft from police armouries. Five officers were arrested in 2022 after missing guns were discovered to be recorded only on handwritten lists, with no electronic tracking system in place. Authorities say a digital database has since been introduced, though experts believe leakage continues.
South African enforcement has faced similar challenges. In November 2024, a Namibian man caught with an AK-47 in Guguletu was released on bail due to procedural blunders and later disappeared. Acting police minister Firoz Kachalia admitted that poor intelligence structures in the Western Cape continue to undermine prosecutions.
“We know where some of these guns are coming from, but cases collapse before convictions,” Hyman said. “The market for cheap military-grade weapons is wide open, and both gangs and traffickers are cashing in.”
A regional trade
The illicit trade extends beyond South Africa. Police sources confirm that firearms are also moving into Angola, with Namibian ammunition paired with Angolan-sourced weapons before resale. Trucks carrying perishable goods are allegedly used to conceal shipments, with routes overlapping with wildlife and diamond trafficking networks.
What began as isolated thefts from Namibian armouries has now evolved into a cross-border economy where assault rifles are sold in bulk – and sometimes even at discount prices.
Two AK-47 assault rifles for R40 000 – that’s the going rate on southern Africa’s black market, with weapons allegedly stolen from the Namibian police and defence force now circulating from Cape Town to Angola.
The problem is not new. In July 2023, senior officials of the South African Police Service (SAPS) met with Namibian Police inspector-general Joseph Shikongo to strengthen cross-border cooperation. Central to the talks was securing a conviction against a suspect accused of using stolen Namibian police weapons in the multimillion-dollar Phala Phala farm heist at South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s residence.
During the visit, Major General Mathipa Solomon Makgato, head of the Hawks – South Africa’s elite crime-busting unit – revealed that 80 firearms stolen from Nampol’s procurement and logistics division had been confiscated since 2021. Most were recovered from Western Cape gangs, while 12 were found in the possession of Urbanus Shaumbwako, one of the suspects in the 2020 Phala Phala burglary.
Makgato’s delegation also disclosed that some stolen Namibian police weapons had been used in violent crimes in Gauteng. The pistols, engraved with “NPW” for “Namibian Police Weapon,” were not recognised by South African authorities at first, leading to 30 of them being destroyed before their origin was established.
Namibian Sun previously reported that the missing firearms, for which five Nampol officials were arrested, were worth N$4.2 million. The scale and value of weapons stolen from the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) remain unclear.
Expanding black market
Fresh intelligence reports suggest the problem is worsening.
Systemic theft from Namibian armouries, combined with weak enforcement in both Namibia and South Africa, is fuelling a thriving underground trade in pistols, shotguns, Uzis and assault rifles.
“This is not just about a handful of pistols – fully automatic weapons are being traded in bulk,” Aron Hyman, senior analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), told Newzroom Africa this week. “In some cases, Namibian sellers are offering a two-for-one special – two AK-47s for R40 000, the price of one.”
Shifting routes north and south
While southbound smuggling into South Africa remains entrenched, Namibia’s northern routes are also expanding. Police in Kavango East have intercepted weapons and ammunition destined for local criminals before being rerouted into Angola. In one case this year, suspects in Rundu abandoned plans to rob a service station after learning of a police trap. Investigators later linked their weapons – a pistol, shotgun and ammunition – to smuggling networks tied to state stockpiles.
Gangs arming up in Cape Town
The impact in South Africa is stark. Western Cape police commissioner Tembisile Patikile confirmed in February that more than 90 firearms seized in the province could be traced back to Namibia, most of them Nampol-issue pistols.
GI-TOC analysts warn that Namibia’s military stockpiles pose an even greater threat. In August 2024, nine suspects were arrested in Windhoek for allegedly stealing 16 NDF firearms, including AK-47s, reportedly destined for Cape Town. “The availability of fully automatic weapons is rising in Cape Town’s black market,” Hyman cautioned. “The two-for-one AK-47 deal shows just how deep the trade has become.”
Systemic failures
Investigations in Namibia have repeatedly exposed systemic theft from police armouries. Five officers were arrested in 2022 after missing guns were discovered to be recorded only on handwritten lists, with no electronic tracking system in place. Authorities say a digital database has since been introduced, though experts believe leakage continues.
South African enforcement has faced similar challenges. In November 2024, a Namibian man caught with an AK-47 in Guguletu was released on bail due to procedural blunders and later disappeared. Acting police minister Firoz Kachalia admitted that poor intelligence structures in the Western Cape continue to undermine prosecutions.
“We know where some of these guns are coming from, but cases collapse before convictions,” Hyman said. “The market for cheap military-grade weapons is wide open, and both gangs and traffickers are cashing in.”
A regional trade
The illicit trade extends beyond South Africa. Police sources confirm that firearms are also moving into Angola, with Namibian ammunition paired with Angolan-sourced weapons before resale. Trucks carrying perishable goods are allegedly used to conceal shipments, with routes overlapping with wildlife and diamond trafficking networks.
What began as isolated thefts from Namibian armouries has now evolved into a cross-border economy where assault rifles are sold in bulk – and sometimes even at discount prices.
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