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JOHANNESBURG. — The discovery of a large cache of shotgun cartridges marked “SAPS” at mining giant Lonmin earlier this year has raised questions as to why the company would be in possession of ammunition apparently meant to be used exclusively by the South African Police Service.
News24 can reveal that in March this year, Lonmin chief executive officer Ben Magara was briefed by an employee from the company’s security and risk division following the discovery in February of some 1 000 rubber shotgun cartridges marked “12 Bore Baton SAPS” at two of the company’s sites near Rustenburg.
The briefing followed an internal investigation conducted by the company.
Major-General Vuyisile Ngesi, a national police spokesperson, said in an e-mail that Lonmin’s possession of SAPS-marked ammunition was “illegal” and that the matter would be investigated.
The development could have far reaching implications for Lonmin, especially given earlier accusations that a “toxic collusion” between the company and police had contributed to the bloodshed at Lonmin’s Marikana mine in 2012.
The accusation was made by Advocate Dali Mpofu, who’d represented injured and arrested mineworkers, during the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the massacre.
Lonmin denies that any SAPS-marked rubber bullets were used by its own security personnel during the events at Marikana. However, the company disagrees with the police’s stance that its possession of the ammunition was illegal.
In response to News24 queries, Lonmin said: “We understand that the shotgun shells were acquired by our then-security team, only for the purposes of training and as a last resort protection mechanism.
“However, these shotgun shells were never used in either of these circumstances or any other circumstances.
“Accordingly, we can confirm that this ammunition was not used in any of the events related to the Marikana shootings.
“Our understanding . . . is that original manufacturers produced cartridges in excess of what was required by SAPS and then proceeded to sell these on the open market. There is nothing illegal or untoward in Lonmin having acquired these shotgun shells.
“However, given the history of Marikana, the current management team deemed this to be a potential reputational risk to the company and proceeded to hand this ammunition over to the SAPS,” Lonmin added.
News24 has established that Aug Behrens, a hardware and ammunition store outside Rustenburg, had supplied the SAPS-marked rounds to Lonmin.
Aug Behrens in turn had sourced the ammunition from National Cartridge Company, a Cape Town-based ammunition supplier, from as early as 2011.
National Cartridge Company’s directors have confirmed that another company they’re the directors of supplies rubber shotgun cartridges to the SAPS. — News24.
Online Reporter