Cape Town – The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has launched an investigation after three R4 assault rifles and a grenade launcher were stolen during a burglary at Tek Base in Lyttelton.
In a statement issued on Thursday, 30 April, the SANDF said the break-in was discovered on 27 April at around midday when a member returned from an official funeral in Mafikeng, North West.
“The burglar door had been forcefully opened and preliminary findings indicate that three R4 rifles and a grenade launcher were stolen,” the statement said.
Initial investigations suggest the perpetrators gained access to the premises by cutting through a perimeter fence before forcing entry into a storeroom.
A case of business burglary has been opened, and the military is verifying whether additional equipment may be missing.
The latest incident adds to a history of weapons theft at the facility. In December 2019, 18 R4 rifles and three 9mm pistols were stolen from Tek Base in what was later revealed to be an inside job. All the rifles and two of the pistols were eventually recovered.
Parliamentary data shows that between the 2019/20 financial year and December 2023, 39 SANDF weapons were stolen and 12 reported lost, most of them R1 and R4 rifles and 9mm pistols. Research by the Freedom Front Plus put the number of stolen firearms over a similar period at 42, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition.
While SANDF losses remain significantly lower than those recorded by the police, concerns persist over the potential use of stolen military-grade weapons in violent crime. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia indicated that 4,124 South African Police Service firearms were reported lost or stolen between 2019/20 and the end of 2025.
Deeply disconcerting
Reacting to the Tek Base burglary, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Carl Niehaus described the theft as “deeply disconcerting”, warning that such incidents pose a serious threat to national security.
“Weapons that should be protecting the sovereignty of our nation are instead disappearing into the hands of criminals,” Niehaus said, according to Defence Web, adding that the thefts reflect systemic failures within the military.
He cited previous incidents, including the disappearance of weapons from the SA Navy base in Simon’s Town in 2016, and a broader pattern of losses across multiple bases such as the SA Army Engineering Formation, 21 SAI Battalion, Tshwane Regiment, 4 Artillery Regiment in Potchefstroom and Air Force Base Makhado.
Niehaus also linked the incidents to declining conditions within military facilities, arguing that poor infrastructure and low morale among soldiers could contribute to security lapses and potential internal collusion.
The EFF has called for a commission of inquiry into SANDF weapon thefts, as well as urgent audits of armouries, improved surveillance systems and stricter security measures.
The SANDF has not yet indicated whether foul play or internal involvement is suspected in the latest incident.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
