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The South African Police Service (SAPS) has 'lost' more than 9,5 million rounds of ammunition over the last six financial years.

The Freedom Front Plus reports that during the same period, 4 357 firearms were also 'lost'.

These shocking figures were revealed in an answer provided by Police Minister Bheki Cele in response to an official parliamentary question posed by FF Plus leader, Dr Pieter Groenewald.

The greatest quantity of ammunition that went missing in a single year was in the Eastern Cape where 3.2 million (3 231 406) rounds of ammunition went missing in the 2016/17 financial year.

Dr Groenewald said these figures are shocking and totally unacceptable, and in the case of another province in North West, incomprehensible that more than 3 million rounds of ammunition can go missing during a single year and nobody seems to know how it happened.

He said the FF Plus will request the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee for Police to urgently discuss this matter in the Committee and that the relevant people must be held accountable.