Police continue removal of illegal firearms, ammo from Pta’s streets
The adamant process to remove illegal firearms in Tshwane comes as popularly known Pretoria musicians, businessmen and a man linked to a local criminal organisation were recently murdered at the hands of unlicensed firearms.
Police say they are determined to detect and remove illegal firearms and ammunition from the streets of South Africa.
This is in a bid to decrease the number of serious and violent crimes plaguing communities.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the police were intensifying operations to detect and remove illegal firearms and ammunition from the hands of criminals following the destruction of 18 927 firearms on February 9.
She said the illegal firearms destroyed included handguns, rifles and shotguns as well as firearm parts and combination firearms.
“Police have in the past 12 months permanently removed 65 519 firearms from circulation,” she said.
She said the removed firearms had been cleared of any use in the commission of a previous crime by ballistic testing.
“These firearms had either been seized during crime prevention operations, voluntarily surrendered or forfeited to the state during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 firearms amnesties.”
The firearms were confiscated and seized by police during intelligence driven operations, routine stop-and-searches as well as tip-offs from community members.
Last March 26 002 were destroyed and a further 20 590 in July.
“The organisation takes this opportunity to commend members of the public for playing a big part in ensuring the safety of the inhabitants of this country, as some of the firearms were recovered as a result of tip-offs from community members.”
She said illegal firearms posed a threat to the safety and security of the inhabitants of this country.
Here follows some criminal cases involving unlicensed firearms:
– A man linked to a local criminal organisation was shot execution style in Mamelodi on February 11.
Visi Sengalela Mngidi (45) was shot and killed shortly after leaving his house in Mamelodi East.
According to police, Mngidi was travelling in his bakkie and the assassins in a white BMW behind him.
He had tried to outstrip them by driving faster but his vehicle came to a stop in Marishane Street and when he got out the unknown suspects also got out of their vehicle and shot him dead execution style.
Police found 29 empty cartridges and one projectile on the scene of the crime.
– On February 6, police arrested two men for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition in Soshanguve.
Police said that the arrest was important as most crimes in the area involve firearms.
– On January 29, local Barcadi artist Itumeleng Mosoeu, better known as Vusi Ma R5, was shot dead outside a local club along the M17 in Soshanguve ext. 13, where he was booked to perform.
Akasia police spokesperson Constable Lindiwe Mdluli Mabasa said at the time, the motive for the shooting was unknown.
She urged anyone with information to bring it to the police.
– In November 2022, east businessman and musician Oupa John Sefoka (38), popularly known as DJ Sumbody was murdered in Woodmead when he and his security detail were ambushed near Engen Woodlands in Sandton.
He was reportedly on his way from a gig.
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