White River gun shop employee sentenced in court
An employee of the Rose’s Guns ammunition shop in White River was sentenced in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Cornelius “Corné” du Toit (42) must either serve five years behind bars, or pay a R15 000 fine after having pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.*
Du Toit was arrested on May 28, 2020 by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team. The authorities raided his house after receiving a tip-off.
“During the operation, two unlicensed firearms and rounds of ammunition were seized,” read a statement by the Hawks spokesperson, Capt Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi.
Although initial charges against Du Toit included transporting firearms without a permit, he was not found guilty in relation thereto. The store management declined to give comment.
*According to Sekgotodi’s media statement, rumours of Du Toit selling firearms to poachers were what led the Hawks to his doorstep in the first place. However, Du Toit was not charged with any such crimes.
Lowvelder previously mentioned the above rumours and expressly places on record that Du Toit was neither charged with, nor found guilty of, selling firearms or ammunition to poachers.
The publication apologises for erroneously reporting that his sentence consisted of both five years’ imprisonment and a R15 000 fine, whereas these were in the alternative.
