Police have confiscated over 500 licensed firearms this week, following compliance inspections at 3 728 business premises. These operations were carried out at premises such as gun dealers and security companies. Officers carried out the operations in terms of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.

Police have confiscated over 500 licensed firearms this week

The Act places strict obligations on licence holders to ensure safe storage, proper authorization, and accountability for all licensed firearms and ammunition. According to the Act, all gun owners must be in possession of both a competency certificate and a valid licence(s) or permit to possess a firearm as an individual or for business purposes.

Expired firearm licences

Lt Col Amanda van Wyk says the National Tracking and Tracing Task Team, operating under OPERATION BUYISA, arrested a 55-year-old gun dealer from Middelburg. He was taken into custody for failing to comply with the Firearms Control Act. She says 537 licensed firearms and ammunition were then seized. A preliminary report suggests the team followed up information they obtained on a security company allegedly operating in Middelburg with expired firearm licences.

A large quantity of licensed firearms and ammunition stored at the plot

Further investigation led the team to a plot on the outskirts of eMalahleni after interviewing a gun dealer who reportedly stored the security company’s firearms. The team found a large quantity of licensed firearms and ammunition stored at the plot. This was confirmed to be an unlicensed storage facility. The gun dealer had allegedly ran out of storage space at its registered business premises.

Important information for licensed gun owners and institutions

Licensed gun owners and institutions are reminded that in terms of Section 120(1) of the Firearms Control Act, it is an offence to:

• – contravene or fail to comply with any provision of the Act;
• – breach conditions of a licence, permit or authorization; or
• – disregard any lawful notice or requirement issued under the Act.

Regular firearm compliance inspections at business premises enforce accountability and ensure records of licensed firearms and ammunition are kept accurately.

Police have confirmed a triple murder in Athlone, after a shooting on Tuesday night at Sunbird Court, Bridgetown.

Three people, including a 9-month-old baby, were killed, and two men were injured.

Authorities say three suspects fled the scene, and the motive is still unknown.

Detectives from the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit are leading the investigation, and SAPS is urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stop or use the MySAPS app.

Provincial Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile has condemned the latest attack.

“The South African Police Service strongly condemns the senseless and brutal killing of three people, including an infant, in a shooting incident last night.”

Police responded to the scene at around 22:00, where officers found the bodies of two women aged 25 and 36, as well as the nine-month-old baby, who had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.

Two adult males, who were also shot and injured, were transported to a medical facility for treatment.

Patekile says all available resources have been mobilised to trace and apprehend those responsible.

“SAPS unequivocally condemns violent crimes and we assure the residents of Athlone and the broader community that every effort will be made to bring the perpetrators to book and to restore safety and stability in the area.”

While the motive for these murders is still under investigation, it comes shortly after Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed in Parliament yesterday that the SANDF will be deployed to gang-ridden hotspots on the Cape Flats within 10 days.

He told MP’s during the debate of the State of the Nation Address that discussions around the deployment have been held, and that troops would go in to support the police in stabilising crime-ridden provinces.

This includes several areas in the Western Cape where gangs are terrorising communities, and in Gauteng, to crack down on illegal mining.

Cachalia also announced that, at the request of President Cyril Ramaphosa, troops would also be deployed to the Eastern Cape, where violent crime is rampant.