More than 40 weapons found during raid at Shauwn Mkhize’s home

When police and South African Revenue Services (Sars) officials raided Shauwn Mkhize’s house this week, they found more than just the documents and assets they were looking for.

The raid took place at the businesswoman’s La Lucia, Durban, house on Tuesday afternoon.

Sars says Mkhize owes it around R37 million in unpaid taxes.

Dozens of firearms confiscated at Mkhize’s home

But while officers were inside the house, they found more than 40 firearms, along with documents, in a safe. Six other firearms were found hidden in another part of the house.

City Press reports that the weapons were confiscated.

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A Mercedes-Benz G-wagon, a Ferrari, a Maserati and a Rolls-Royce Ghost were also among the cars, worth about R22 million, that were seized.

According to the publication, the guns found in the safe belong to a taxi boss who used to be a former presidential protection services police officer. The former officer reportedly provides security services for Mkhize.

Legality of firearms

There are also questions about the legality of the firearms. Mkhize would need permission to store the guns from both the owner of the firearms and the police.

A source said the licences for the firearms had expired.

“The guns that were recovered included rifles, shotguns and handguns, plus 200 rounds of ammunition. The Durban North Saps has taken the firearms for ballistic testing,” the source told City Press.

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Furthermore, a security guard at the property was arrested after being found with numerous firearms. His firearm licences had also expired.

Sars combatting tax evasion and criminal activity

In a statement on Tuesday, Sars said the raid was part of its “effort to combat tax evasion and criminal activity that undermines the country’s economy”.

“This decision is a crucial step in Sars’s strategic objective to make it increasingly hard and costly for taxpayers who wilfully and intentionally engage in criminal activity.

“Over the past few years, Sars has been diligently investigating and cracking down on the construction industry so that it complies with tax laws.”

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