Assault rifles seized as anti-gang unit swoops after six officers are shot

The anti-gang unit seized an arsenal of firearms and ammunition and made two arrests after a day of chaos on the Cape Flats.

Hours after six unit members were shot during an operation in Samora Machel, Philippi, two assault rifles, 9mm pistols and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized in two raids in nearby Happy Valley on Wednesday night.

Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said two men, aged 35 and 64, were arrested in the raids and would appear in court charged with possession of prohibited firearms - the R5 rifles - and possession of illegal firearms and ammunition.

Mounting gang violence in the area prompted the police to implement a 72-hour total shutdown of Samora Machel township, where police minister Bheki Cele said he had told officers to “make life difficult”.

Speaking to community members on Wednesday at the hospital where two of the six officers are being treated, Cele said: "We are going to up the game. We have one gun now that we believe was used in this thing.”

A 26-year-old was arrested in Paarl on Wednesday afternoon in connection with the Samora Machel shooting.