SAPS firearms backlog in the Western Cape has left thousands of confiscated firearms unexamined, undermining criminal prosecutions and community safety, reports Cape {town} Etc. A parliamentary reply shows SAPS seized 3104 firearms between 2023 and 2025. Only 466 have been linked to past criminal activity through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System and 2985 remained untested within the 90-day departmental timeline as of December 2025. '(Facebook)<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>The DA wants immediate funding to clear the backlog and calls on SAPS to accept practical assistance from local government so testing can be accelerated. The party said clearing the forensic queue is essential to securing convictions and removing repeat offenders from communities.