Minister Marais commends SAPS and LEAP for firearm confiscations

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais has extended her appreciation to the South African Police Service (SAPS), Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers, and other law enforcement agencies for their ongoing and tireless efforts in removing illegal firearms and ammunition from our streets.

Minister Marais said, “Their recent string of successes is crucial in our collective fight against violent crime. Every gun confiscated matters. It is potentially a life saved, a crime prevented, and a community protected.”

In recent days, LEAP officers recorded notable achievements, including the arrest of two suspects in Samora Machel on 15 October 2025, after discovering a PX3 firearm and ammunition inside a residence. Just two days later, LEAP officers arrested a suspect who attempted to conceal a firearm and ammunition in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain. This was swiftly followed by the arrest of another individual who was in possession of a Taurus .38 special revolver and six live rounds during a routine vehicle stop on 19 October.

That same evening, LEAP officers patrolling Tafelsig apprehended a suspect who discarded a homemade "zip gun" containing a live 9mm police-issued round. These arrests are testament to the courage and diligence of the officers involved and the importance of persistent policing in known hotspots.

The SAPS also recorded successes across the Western Cape. In Elsies River, SAPS members arrested a suspect found with a firearm which had been reported stolen in Gordon’s Bay earlier this year. In Muizenberg, two illegal 9mm pistols and ammunition were confiscated from a suspect linked to an attempted murder case. 

Furthermore, the SAPS Anti-Gang Unit continues to make progress in the fight against gang-related crime. Notable recoveries in the past few days include:

• A cache of firearms – among them rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers - and ammunition discovered during a joint operation in Langebaan;
• A 7.65 Browning pistol with ammunition found in Athlone;
• A Taurus G3XL with 9mm rounds and drugs discovered during patrols in Elsies River;
• A 9mm pistol and 110 rounds of ammunition seized in Manenberg; and
• A 9mm pistol found in Mitchells Plain.

Additionally, operations in Bishop Lavis, Steenberg, and Hanover Park resulted in arrests for firearm and drug-related offences.

A stolen Baretta 9mm pistol was also seized at a spaza shop in De Doorns, leading to the arrest of two individuals, and the retrieval of a shotgun in Worcester. Both cases were made possible through community tip-offs.

Minister Marais said, “I sincerely thank the brave and vigilant residents who came forward with information. You are our partners in this ongoing effort to reclaim our communities from criminal elements. I urge all residents to continue reporting illegal firearms and suspicious activity to law enforcement.”

“I call on SAPS to ensure that these arrests are followed by thorough investigations and prosecutions. Removing a firearm from our streets is only part of the solution; securing a conviction is what ultimately brings closure to victims and serves as a deterrent to others”, Minister Marais added.

Media Enquiries:
Kurt Nefdt, Acting MLO to Minister Anroux Marais
Cell: 084 285 1975
Email: Kurt.Nefdt@westerncape.gov.za