R6000 bail for soldier arrested with hidden firearms cache
A cache of firearms and ammunition discovered concealed in a steel box under a carpet during a police raid.
Image: saps
Bail has been set at R6000 for a soldier arrested at his home with a cache of firearms and ammunition concealed in a steel box under a carpet and sealed with concrete. This incident comes as the DA’s Standing Committee on Police Oversight and Community Safety calls for accountability.
The 52-year-old soldier made an appearance at the Goodwood Magistrates’ Court on Monday. Eric Ntabazalila, Regional Communications Officer for the National Prosecuting Authority, confirmed that the case against the SANDF soldier, identified as Jonathan Levendal, is expected to return to court this week. “The 52-year-old SANDF member’s case has been postponed to 6 May 2026 after the court set bail. The case has been postponed for further investigation.”
The police reported that the soldier was not at home when his property was raided by the Anti-Gang Unit. Upon his arrival, he identified himself as the homeowner. The team was responding to a tip-off regarding the storage of guns and ammunition at the residence on Delphi Street in Eureka Estate. During the raid on Saturday, 28 February, police discovered the steel box hidden under a carpet and sealed with concrete.
Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk stated that officers found an assortment of blank cartridges, 7.62 and 5.65 rifle cartridges, a 9mm imitation firearm (CSS Castra M22) with one magazine and firearm storage box, a Beretta Z88 9mm pistol with a magazine and firearm storage box, an AR-15 pistol/rifle upper and lower parts, a scope, a magnifier, a silver Lenovo laptop, two rifle magazines, a black LG laptop, a black Huawei P9 cellular phone, nitrocellulose (a compound used for explosives), and a Claymore anti-personnel mine.
DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety, Benedicta van Minnen MPP, has called for accountability. Van Minnen stated: “While residents on the Cape Flats have been promised that the SANDF will come to their aid in the fight against gangsterism in the Western Cape, recent developments serve as a stark reminder that we must be cautious about what we wish for. The arrest of a 52-year-old soldier in Ravensmead has raised serious and troubling questions.”
She added, “This incident underscores a critical reality: the deployment of the army into civilian communities is not a simple solution, and our defence force is not without its own governance and operational shortcomings. While the fight against gangsterism requires decisive action, it also demands accountability and oversight.”
Van Minnen concluded by stating that the DA in the Western Cape calls for clear operational mandates and rules of engagement, transparent reporting to provincial authorities, and independent oversight and compliance mechanisms that are accessible to the public.