Police dockets and an official magistrate’s court date stamp were among the items police found at a home in Grassy Park when responding to a tip-off related to firearm possession.
The Western Cape SAPS said members with Operation Lockdown III were called to Nightjar Street in Pelican on Tuesday night, acting on information that an individual there had been in possession of firearms.
Police searched the home after arriving at about 21:00, and there they found nine police dockets, the magistrate’s court date stamp, as well as two imitation firearms and 73 rounds of ammunition.
Western Cape SAPS spokesperson Captain F.C Van Wyk, a 37-year-old man, was taken into police custody.
“A 37-year-old male suspect was arrested and detained at Muizenberg police station for possession of imitation firearms and ammunition. He is due to make his first court appearance at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court once charged,” said Van Wyk.
While the suspect’s current charge related only to the firearm-related discovery, Van Wyk noted that investigations are ongoing.
“The circumstances surrounding the dockets in his possession are under investigation.”
The discovery has sparked concerns over possible corruption and collusion within the criminal justice system.
The DA Western Cape spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety, Benedicta van Minnen, claims the suspect is gang-affiliated, and added that his access to active criminal investigation records points to “deep-seated corruption and active collusion between elements within SAPS and organised crime syndicates”.
In a statement, she noted that it is especially concerning when taking the recent crime statistics into account, especially with “93% or 225 out of 242 recorded in the first quarter of this year, occurred right here in the Western Cape”.
READ MORE: Fourth Quarter Crime Stats
“The discovery raises serious concerns regarding corruption and collusion within the criminal justice system, particularly in gang-affected communities where cases frequently collapse and where convictions for gun crime remain at 5%,” said van Minnen.
Van Minnen added that the incident “cannot be dismissed as an isolated embarrassment”.
“A comprehensive investigation is required to determine how these materials left official custody, whether any cases were compromised, and who should be held accountable,” she said.
She said that the DA would be writing to the Provincial Commissioner to prioritise this investigation and to “ensure the integrity of other criminal dockets is not compromised”.
