Durban — A man was arrested and appeared in court in the North West after he was found in possession of two firearms, one of which was linked to burglary and theft committed at KwaMsane in KwaZulu-Natal in 2011.
North West police spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh said police in the province were making inroads to remove illegal firearms often used to commit serious and violent crimes.
Police seized 28 firearms between February 18 and March 22 during crime-combating operations.
Myburgh said in one of the incidents, in Kanana near Orkney, a 38-year-old man was arrested after being found in possession of two firearms on March 17. This came after information was received about a man who was due to meet potential buyers of illegal firearms. Consequently, a crime intelligence-driven operation was executed by three off-duty Kanana Crime Prevention members who spotted a suspicious man at Hardy Street, carrying a wrapped parcel.
“The man was searched and arrested after being found in possession of a hunting rifle, a shotgun as well as 109 various ammunition.
“Further investigation into the matter revealed that one of the firearms is linked to burglary and theft committed at KwaMsane, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2011. The suspect appeared before Orkney Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, March 22, 2023,” Myburgh said.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Captain Sekgotodi Dineo said a 31-year-old suspect was expected to appear before the Bethal Magistrate’s Court on March 27 for impersonating an attorney.
The man represented Mhlabuyaxega Mntungwa, 37, who was wanted for the murder of a former manager of Sam Holdings, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Ngcongo, 34, who was fatally wounded on September 12, 2019.
Dineo said the suspect was tracked in KZN.
Dineo said information was received that Ngcongo was shot by two suspects who sped off after the shooting and later Phindokuhle Eugene Nkosi, 30, who was the driver of the van used on the day in question, was traced and arrested by Bethal SAPS members.
“After a series of court appearances, Nkosi was found guilty on October 20, 2020, and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by the High Court sitting in Delmas on October 23, 2020, for murder,” Dineo said.
“A warrant of arrest was authorised for Mntungwa. Mntungwa who was eventually arrested on February 1, by the provincial tracking team in KwaZulu-Natal. Mntungwa was charged and appeared before the Bethal Magistrate‘s Court and was remanded in custody. The case was postponed to March 24. He was represented by his fake attorney who was arrested by the Hawks Secunda Serious Organised Crime Investigation for impersonating an attorney.”
Dineo said both accused will appear again on March 27. Mntungwa will be appearing for murder and the other suspect on charges of impersonating an attorney.
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