Five police officers linked to a scandal involving 15 firearms which could not be accounted for – and which were tied to a Cape Town police station in a suburb rife with gang hotspots – have been fired.
A criminal case is also under way.
Daily Maverick reported in March on how 15 firearms linked to the Mitchells Plain police station went missing, apparently in November 2023.
At the time, it was also reported that a South African Police Service (SAPS) officer was arrested in connection with the matter and that Brigadier Jan Alexander, who was the head of police in Mitchells Plain, had been temporarily transferred to another station in Cape Town.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Cop arrest and transfer after repeat ‘missing’ guns scandal at Cape Town gang hotspot police station
This week Daily Maverick established that five officers – two sergeants and three constables – were dismissed on 11 June 2024.
It was not immediately clear what specific charges each had faced, but Daily Maverick understands some may relate to bringing the SAPS into disrepute.
‘Serious consequences’
On Wednesday, 19 June, responding to questions from Daily Maverick about the saga, provincial police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said: “The loss of firearms at the Mitchells Plain [station] is viewed in a very serious light by provincial police management which necessitated serious consequences for those implicated.
“This office can confirm that five SAPS members were dismissed as a result of departmental processes, which are yet to be finalised.”
Traut added that “the investigation surrounding the criminal case” was still proceeding.
In February, in a response to parliamentary questions, police minister Bheki Cele provided some details about what had happened to the firearms.
15 guns ‘not booked’
Cele said a police officer “took 15 firearms and eight imitation firearms to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Plattekloof for analysis; however, the firearms were not booked in at the FSL and the acknowledgement receipt from the FSL was not returned to the Mitchells Plain police station”.
This suggests that firearms – evidence in criminal cases – might never have arrived at the laboratory for forensic testing.
Cele said at the time that a criminal case had been registered and a police officer arrested and charged.
The Cape Argus previously named the officer as Detective Constable Lubabalo Malongwe, who was stationed in Mitchells Plain.
It is understood this matter is ongoing.
Repeat scandal
It’s not the first time the Mitchells Plain police station has been at the centre of a scandal involving firearms going missing, an issue that feeds into broader gun problems rattling the cops.
About seven years ago, 15 handguns went missing from the station’s community service centre, and a group of SAPS officers faced action including suspensions and dismissals.
They were all later cleared of wrongdoing.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Charl Kinnear assassination crops up in Cape Town police missing guns scandal
A Safety and Security Sectoral Bargaining Council arbitration award relating to the five officers stated: “It has become a norm that there are allegations that senior officers are… involved in underworld activities.
“It is a worrying factor that senior police officers are involved in these shenanigans instead of protecting, combating and preventing crimes, as required by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.”
Kinnear killing crops up
The arbitration award document also said the September 2020 assassination of detective Charl Kinnear outside his Cape Town home may have been linked to the Mitchells Plain firearms saga.
Kinnear had previously been stationed at the Mitchells Plain police station.
At the time of his murder, he was part of the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit and had been involved in several investigations, including into fellow officers in Gauteng who were suspected of creating fraudulent firearm licences.
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Among those under investigation in connection with organised crime was Nafiz Modack. The case against those suspects was previously provisionally withdrawn.
Modack, meanwhile, is among a group now on trial in the Western Cape High Court for crimes that include Kinnear’s murder.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Killing Charl Kinnear could collapse critical cop gun corruption cases
In 2022, Daily Maverick reported that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate found that Kinnear’s assassination could result in the collapse of the gun licence cases he was investigating.
“One can deduce without doubt that the death of Lieutenant Colonel Kinnear has significantly prejudiced the finalisation of these cases and the disciplinary hearing of those implicated, in that, his death has caused judicial proceedings to be defeated, which can be intended to obstruct the proceedings or realisation of these cases,” Ipid had found.
“His death has hindered justice to take its course against the suspects, and by extension also hindered the SAPS’ disciplinary proceeding against implicated SAPS officials.” DM