Mthatha businessman arrested as police seize 140 firearms

During the inspection, the businessman was found in possession of a company firearm without the required permit. A 60‑year‑old Mthatha businessman, already out on bail for attempted murder, has been arrested after police seized 140 firearms and found another 135 unaccounted for during a compliance inspection at his security company. The businessman was handcuffed this week for alleged contravention of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000, following a compliance inspection conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) at his security company’s head office Unlicenced firearms Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said that during the inspection, the businessman was found in possession of a company firearm without the required permit. “The inspection was conducted by members of Operation Buyisa, who established that firearms registered in the name of the security company were not accounted for in the company’s stock register. A total of 140 firearms were seized, while a further 135 firearms remained unaccounted for. “The businessman was out on bail in connection with an attempted murder case involving a police official in July 2026. It is alleged that the suspect discharged a firearm inside a tent during a traditional occasion, resulting in an off-duty police official sustaining a gunshot wound,” van Wyk said, Court The businessman is expected to appear before the Mthatha Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, for a formal bail application following this week’s compliance inspection. “The seized firearms will be subjected to ballistic testing to establish whether any of them may have been used in the commission of other serious and violent crimes,” van Wyk said. Van Wyk said the Saps continues to conduct compliance inspections as part of efforts to ensure strict adherence to the Firearms Control Act and to prevent the proliferation and unlawful use of firearms. Picture: Saps Soweto firearms Last month, Operation Buyisa seized 100 firearms from a Soweto security firm after its Psira accreditation was suspended. Police found storage violations; weapons face ballistic testing amid wider concerns over illegal firearms proliferation.