Shock after police confiscate 152 guns

The recent discovery of firearms in Thohoyandou by the police has left the local community in a state of shivering fear that organized criminal gangs could be sourcing the guns for their own criminal activities.

Just last week, Limpopo police officers confiscated 152 firearms and 93 rounds of live ammunition from defunct security companies that used to operate in the Thohoyandou area but have closed. The firearms, which include pistols and rifles, were discovered during a search that involved 34 security companies.

The haul, believed to be one of the biggest in the area, comes against the backdrop of many crimes involving the use of guns. The area has experienced an increase in the number of violent crimes such as robberies and murders in recent times, some of which are believed to be politically motivated.

Since the discovery, community members have expressed mixed reactions, with some blaming the police for not regulating the use of firearms and not taking charge of firearms in the hands of private security companies.

Many in the community are worried that the guns might be part of a guns-for-hire business where criminals approach the defunct security-company owners and hire guns for their criminal activities. Some have expressed huge relief that so many guns have been taken away from illegal hands and from the streets.

Reacting after the discovery, Mr Mashudu Masuvhelele (not his real name), a resident of Thohoyandou, where most of the violent crimes took place, said the seizure of the arsenal was a relief to the community, who was fed-up with crime. “We really applaud the police for having swept the area of illegal guns. We are tired of these senseless killings in our area. So much innocent blood has been shed, and many in this community have been robbed with guns, and we just believe that this will lead to a decrease in crime and people will live peacefully again,” he said.

He further urged the police to continue investigating the companies and to rid the area of illegal guns.

Munna Ndi Nnyi Men’s Forum chairperson Mr Bardwell Mufunwaini also commended the police for a job well done. He said he was just worried that the closure of security companies meant the loss of jobs in the security industry, saying it also led to increased crime.

“Police should know that there are so many illegal guns on the streets and that those kept by security companies and confiscated by police should not be destroyed, as the companies could be revived and still absorb the unemployed.”

Limpopo police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed that the prevalence of crimes where firearms were used had prompted Limpopo police commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba to deploy the firearms, liquor, and second-hand goods (FLASH) unit to trace all firearms still in the possession of former employees of security companies that had closed down.

He said the police were working hard to eradicate all possibilities where criminals could commit crimes using firearms and added that the operations would escalate throughout the province.

"The operations yielded positive results as we managed to confiscate many guns and ammunition. The recovered firearms and ammunition will undergo ballistic testing to find out whether they were criminally used or not, and will be destroyed after proper procedures are completed," Ngoepe said.

Meanwhile, the Limpopo police commissioner, Gen Nneke Ledwaba, sent a strong warning to security companies who are not complying with the Firearms Control Act that they will face the full might of the law.

He urged members of the community who might possess information about such companies to phone Lt-Col Justice Nchabeleng on 082 468 3848 or any Flash coordinator at the nearest police station across the province, or the crime stop number 08600-10111.

Date:02 August 2019

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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