Councillor candidate, 49, arrested in Dassenhoek with unlicenced gun days before local elections
Mariannhill police say the man could not produce a licence for the firearm or ammunition found at a residence in Ekukhanyeni and will appear in the Pinetown Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
Police in Mariannhill have arrested a 49-year-old man after he was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition in Dassenhoek, according to the South African Police Service.
The arrest happened on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. Police say they received information that a man was in possession of a firearm, and that the information was operationalised. Investigations led officers to a residence in the Ekukhanyeni area of Dassenhoek, where the suspect was found with a firearm and ammunition.
He failed to produce documentation permitting him to possess the firearm and ammunition, SAPS said, and was arrested immediately. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Preliminary police investigations revealed that the suspect is a councillor candidate of a political party for the upcoming Local Government Elections, the statement says. SAPS did not name the man, the political party he represents or the ward he is contesting.
The suspect will appear in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, the same day as the arrest as stated in the police statement.
The statement was issued by the Office of the Provincial Commissioner KwaZulu-Natal. Enquiries are directed to Colonel Robert Netshiunda. The full statement is available at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72063.
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