More than 15 000 firearms have been destroyed in South Africa.

National police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola oversaw the latest destruction in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng. Police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says the firearms were either seized during operations, voluntarily surrendered, or forfeited to the State.

She adds that all the guns destroyed were subjected to ballistic testing to determine if they were used in the commission of crime.

According to SAPS since April last year, some 54 000 firearms have been removed from circulation and destroyed.

Advocacy group, Gun Free South Africa has called for a firearms destruction site in the Western Cape. It argues that transporting guns and ammunition destined for destruction to Pretoria and keeping them in storage for a long period of time creates major risks. It fears the guns could be leaked back into the illicit the market through loss, theft, or corruption.