By Songeziwe Mapukata
A man has been found in possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition in the troubled area of Majola in Port St Johns, Eastern Cape.
An intelligence-driven operation conducted by the police comes not long after Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the area, promising to bring in specialised police from outside to quell the violence raging in the war-torn Majola area.
During the raid in the early hours of last Friday morning in the Magangeni locality, police found and seized an R4 rifle and a pistol. Both firearms had ammunition.
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana told Scrolla.Africa the operation was initiated by members in Majola following up on information about the suspect.
“The R4 rifle and the pistol had the serial numbers filed off and 85 rounds of ammunition of different calibres were found,” he said.
Kinana said the 35-year-old suspect was caught and taken to Hlababombu Police Station in Lusikisiki where he is expected to appear before the local magistrate’s court on Friday.
Majola has been marred by sporadic waves of violence and at least 120 homes have been torched and people rendered homeless. Nearly 30 people, including school children, have been killed since the violence began in 2021.
“The motive remains unknown to police and we do not want to speculate if the man has been an accessory to these incidents,” said Kinana.
“The firearms will be sent for ballistics in order to establish whether they had been used in other crimes,” he said.
Although there is police visibility in the area, some families are still displaced by the violence, leaving women and children destitute. Local traditional leader Nkosi Nolundi Meji has not been able to comment.
Pictured above: The seized firearms
Image source: Supplied
