Crime victim fights back with own ‘gun’
One Polokwane resident who has been the victim of several crimes said he is fed up with criminals and decided to take matters into his own hands.
POLOKWANE – He said he was recently the victim of a new crime syndicate in the city, particularly in the Ladanna area. The man, who spoke to Review on the basis of anonymity, said he was heading home a week ago when he was robbed of his money and a cell phone.
“The work I do as a builder keeps me busy for long hours and staying in Ladanna means I have to take a long walk or a taxi home late at night. I just went to one of the shops to get something to eat and was walking down Witklip Street when I was pulled into a field by three assailants. The three men held me down and went through my pockets, stealing my cell phone and the cash I had on me to pay my rent. I felt helpless during the attack and just prayed that they wouldn’t kill me,” the man told Review, adding this was not the first time he was the victim of a robbery.
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“It is not the first time but it will be the last time, this is a promise. From now on people who want to rob hardworking people and steal the little they have must know they started a war they cannot win,” he said.
What the man sees as a solution to his problem is making a homemade gun that will shoot real bullets.
The gun is made from a strong metal and, with the help of a spring and a screw or nail, will then discharge a bullet just like a normal gun.
“For now it will only shoot .22 caliber bullets but with modification it will be able to shoot a higher calibre,” the man explained.
Brig Motlafela Mojapelo warned residents that using or being found in possession of such a weapon can lead to jail time.
“The man is in fact breaking the law by not only making but by possessing such a weapon. “He can be arrested under the new firearm’s control act as this is carrying a firearm without a license. He can even be looking at jail time on conviction that he is carrying a dangerous weapon that can kill or seriously injure a person. This means that upon him using it he could even be up for charges or attempted murder and murder,” Mojapelo said.
Dangerous Weapons Act 15 of 2013
According to the Dangerous Weapons Act 15 of 2013, “A dangerous weapon means any object, other than a firearm, capable of causing death or inflicting serious bodily harm, if it were used for an unlawful purpose”.
Charges could include possession of a dangerous weapon, contravening the Dangerous Weapons Act and even a charge as serious as pointing of a firearm – if the victim believes the weapon is a real firearm. However, the Act states in section 3(1) that “any person who is in possession of a dangerous weapon under circumstances which may raise a reasonable suspicion that the person intends to use the dangerous weapon for an unlawful purpose, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years”.
