CAPE TOWN - Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola, on Friday applauded the detection and seizure of an assortment of over 40 high calibre firearms and 2000 rounds of ammunition in Vanderbijlpark.
His office said the seizure was done on Thursday and comes in a period of the firearm amnesty which started on December 1 and will run to May 31.
"It is very encouraging that our members continue to look out for illegal guns and ammunition even whilst the amnesty period is in place,” said Masemola.
"We have embarked on a nationwide campaign to encourage people that are illegally in possession of or have unwanted arms and ammunition to take advantage of this amnesty period to hand them over to police without fear of prosecution.”
Masemola's office cautioned people that if they were found in possession of the guns by police as opposed to voluntarily surrender, they cannot rely on the amnesty period for exoneration from prosecution.
A 31-year-old man was arrested for being illegally in possession of the majority of the 43 firearms and 2000 rounds of ammunition and will face prosecution in terms or the Firearm Control Act. According to the statement, the weapons found in his possession included rifles, shotguns and pistols.
"An investigation is already underway to determine the origin of these arms and ammunition and more importantly, to establish if they could have been used in the commission of an offence. The suspect is expected to appear at Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court soon, facing charges of possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition."