eMBALENHLE – Police at eMbalenhle are concern about people with unlicensed firearms.
According to Lieut-Col Andries Shabalala, commander of eMbalenhle detective branch, there are many unlicensed firearms in the area.
A 31-year-old man was arrested in eMbalenhle following complaints from Tsalanang hostel residents about the sound of gunfire that kept them awake on Saturday night, 3 April.
The police found a man who was allegedly using a firearm and took him to the police station where they also discovered that the culprit did not have a license for the gun.
Col Shabalala said some of these firearms are used to commit crime.
“Last year, we arrested a man who was renting out his late father’s firearm to criminals at eMbalenhle. The firearm was brought here from Witbank.
“By arresting these culprits, we are sending a message to those who are sitting with unlicensed firearms and who are illegally in possession of a firearm which belonged to a deceased relative, that they are breaking the law.
“They must hand over the firearms to the police and apply for a license or surrender the weapon to be destroyed, but now they are breaking the law and will be arrested,” said Col Shabalala.
The suspect appeared in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on 6 April and the case was postponed to July, pending the ballistic test report.
Col Shabalala also appealed to anyone with information about the murder of a 31-year-old man whose body was found next to the eMbalenhle Sasol Club at Peace Forest on Sunday, 4 April, to come forward.
According to the police, the deceased was in Mandela Section on his way home in Ext 22 (Azania informal settlement) when he was stabbed to death.
His belonging are also missing.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact detective Sgt Melusi Mthombeni at 071 292 9405.
