Durban — Despite waiting for nearly three years to have his rifles released to him by the SAPS, after two months of having them back in his possession one has allegedly been taken by the police again for ballistics.
Pietermaritzburg gun owner Darryl Simons had been embroiled in a three-year battle with Mountain Rise SAPS to have his firearms returned.
Simons’ 9mm Glock and two rifles were seized because he faced charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, and discharging a firearm in public, but the charges were dropped and he was deemed fit to carry a gun by a court in 2021.
At the time of the investigation, the rifles were taken to eManzimtoti for ballistics testing, however only his Glock was returned.
In March his rifles were finally returned.
Simons, who is a dedicated hunter, last month allegedly had one of these rifles and his Glock taken by the police again, this time by the Cramond police station which accused him of being a poacher.
According to Simons, he had permission from the owner to be on the property of Umngenyana Farm.
“We were there from 4pm until 7.30pm that evening. While there we got stopped by two gentlemen who said we are poachers. I told them to call the farmer, and they did, and it was confirmed that we had permission to be on the farm. More security came and Cramond police station members also came out. We went to the police station and my firearms were taken. We went to the New Hanover court where the case was thrown out as it was not even on the roll. But regardless of having permission and no court case, my guns have gone for ballistics testing again.”
Simons says he has waited almost three years to start making money and supporting his family through hunting with the rifles he had bought with funds received after his retrenchment.
Farm manager Siphiwe Zuma confirmed that he had permitted Simons to hunt and shoot on his farm.
“They did phone me asking to come hunt pigs on the farm. I told them that I was not on the farm though I was at my home. The farm is a community farm and previously Muzi Mkhize who has since passed away lived on the farm and he often would permit them to hunt. I and Mkhize look after this farm. I did give them the okay to hunt on the farm and while at it assist with the jackal problem. However, when they were confronted by security and police I was not there at the time, but they did have permission to hunt,” Zuma said.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said: “The owner of the firearms should contact the investigating officer of his case for regular updates.”
The police were asked to confirm if these two firearms hae been sent for ballistics, and when the owner could expect them back. The question had been accompanied by the Ibis 13 numbers that the guns were under at the Cramond police station.
It was also brought to the attention of Netshiunda that the same guns for the past two-and-a-half years had been with the SAPS after having been taken from the owner by Mountain Rise police station to be sent for ballistics.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News