Cape Town - Five women have been arrested after an arms cache, which included a hand grenade and R5 ammunition, were discovered at their home in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain.
The women who lived in the house where the arms were found have been questioned by the police. This comes after the police found two shotguns, one M26 grenade, magazines as well as a large quantity of shotgun and R5 ammunition at the house.
According to the community the arms could belong to a local gang. Over the last couple of weeks there have been gang-related shootings in Tafelsig. Monday afternoon another man was killed in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain, which is believed to be gang related.
Last month six R4 rifles and 10 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition were stolen from the military base in Khayelitsha.
This was preceded by a highly explosive rocket launcher that was found in Kuils River last year. Two suspects were arrested.
Andrè Traut, the provincial police spokesperson, explained that they found the cache after the Mitchells Plain Crime Prevention Unit conducted a search operation in Tafelsig on Sunday.
He said the unit followed up on information and conducted a search operation at the house in Tafelsig “where they found two shotguns, one M26 grenade, magazines as well as a large quantity of shotgun and R5 ammunition.
“Five female suspects from the house are currently being questioned.
"The firearms were confiscated and the circumstances surrounding the discovery are under a police investigation,” Traut said.
Abe Isaacs, the chairperson of the Mitchells Plain Policing Forum, said the confiscation of the arms took place after members of the community told the police about it.
“It shows the collaboration between the community and the police. We are thrilled about the confiscation of these firearms. This is the only way that we will be able to get these guns, which also take the lives of innocent people, off the street. And this will help the police prevent shootings in the area,” Isaacs said.
This also comes after the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) asked for an audit on stolen firearms. According to Richard Mamabolo, the spokesperson for Popcru, they are delighted the weapons were found.
“We are of the view that with every illegal firearm uncovered lives are saved and criminal activities are then reduced. Besides those which are stolen and those coming through our borders, this exercise could be a step in retracing their movements and could lead police into knowing the likely amount and then planning their actions around concrete figures.
“One of the ways we would suggest would be to ensure the re-establishment of the Tactical Response Team within the police, and ensure targeted areas are raided on a more frequent basis to uncover them,” Mamabolo said.