Thieves broke into a storeroom at Tak Base in Pretoria's Lyttelton Military Base, stealing three R4 rifles and a grenade launcher. The burglary was discovered on 27 April 2026. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has launched an investigation amid a history of similar thefts.
Criminals gained access to the Lyttelton Military Base by cutting a hole in the perimeter fence and forcing open a burglar door at the Tak Base storeroom. A SANDF member discovered the break-in on Monday, 27 April 2026, upon returning from a funeral. "The burglar door had been forcefully opened and preliminary findings indicate that [three] R4 rifles and a grenade launcher were stolen," the SANDF statement said. Empty equipment boxes were found in nearby bushes.
The SANDF provided details a few days after the discovery and initiated an investigation to check for additional stolen items. On 3 May 2026, spokesperson Brigadier General Selinah Rawlins offered no updates. This incident adds to ongoing security concerns at SANDF premises, including a 2019 burglary at the same base that was an inside job involving 18 R4 rifles and pistols, all later recovered.
Parliament’s Defence and Military Veterans committee chair Dakota Legoete called for urgent tracing of the weapons. "Those responsible must be held accountable in terms of our justice system; should they be civilians, and should they be members of the armed forces, they must face the military courts," he said. The theft occurred during SANDF deployments against violent crime, as pledged by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
