Eastern Cape security company raided: 140 firearms seized and 135 remain unaccounted for

A 60-year-old Mthatha businessman will apply for bail on Tuesday. Police found firearms missing from his security company’s stock register. Police seized 140 firearms.

Police seized 140 firearms, while a further 135 firearms remained unaccounted for after raiding a private security company in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday.

The businessman is expected to appear before the Mthatha Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, for a formal bail application.  Police said the businessman was out on bail in connection with an attempted murder case involving a police official in July 2026.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said a 60-year-old businessman from Mthatha was arrested for alleged contravention of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000. She said police conducted a compliance inspection on Tuesday at the head office of his security company.

She said that at the time of the inspection, the businessman was found in possession of a company firearm without the required permit. This constitutes a contravention of Section 3(1)(a) of the Firearms Control Act, she said.

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.

Regarding the attempted murder incident, Van Wyk said the businessman allegedly discharged a firearm inside a tent during a traditional occasion, resulting in an off-duty police official sustaining a gunshot wound. 

“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. 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,” van Wyk said.