Two men were recently each sentenced to one year in jail for having guns on them during separate fighting incidents.
The first incident took place during June last year in the Tsakane area of Steadville. Visible Policing members attended to a complaint of fighting and when they searched one of the people involved, 19-year-old Sipho Mchunu, they found that he was armed with a pistol. He was not a licence holder and the firearm had had its serial number filed off.
The man was charged for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and 10 rounds of ammunition. He was convicted and sentenced in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court last week, where he was also deemed unfit to possess a firearm.
The second incident took place in March this year in Acaciavale. The accused, 23-year-old Andile Mvelase, discharged an illegal firearm in a residential area during a fight. Ladysmith police were informed of the crime and responded. The ‘gunslinger’ had fled the scene, but the quick-thinking officers obtained assistance from a family member to lure the man back.
He was questioned and produced the firearm he had used. He was arrested for being in possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition and stood trial in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court last week, where he was found guilty as charged. He was also found to be unfit to possess a firearm. Both case dockets were investigated by Constable Kubheka of Ladysmith Detective Services.
