Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi came under fire in Parliament on Friday for inadequate control of firearms and problems over police vehicles, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported.
An Auditor General’s report showed the number of stolen and lost firearms had tripled.
The Democratic Alliance’s Eddie Trent said the firearm-control register and negligent-loss certificates could not be provided.
Selebi said the police service was on track in some areas as it tightened controls, filled vacancies and spent all its allocated money.
”This year every firearm will be specifically marked to prevent theft.”
He said police often complained they did not have enough cars to patrol and investigate cases.
”This is not so and a new system will prove it.”
The system will enable police officers to account for each vehicle in the South African Police Service.
”We will realise when someone had shopped at the mall for two hours and came out with plastics instead of a person they arrested,” said Selebi.
He said security worries over the 2010 Soccer World Cup were being exaggerated.
”I do not know why there is such a frenzy about 2010 because it will come and pass just as the Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup tournaments passed.
”The level of crime was much higher when we had the rugby world cup here than today,” he said.
Parliament also complimented the police force for a much improved report from the Auditor General this past year, the broadcaster reported. — Sapa