Choto was arrested on Thursday by Gauteng police following
a tip off. His two accomplices are reportedly still at large. Choto has since
appeared before the Bafokeng magistrates court in Tlhabane on charges of
possession of an unlicensed firearm, ammunition and explosive gel. North West’s
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mr Henry Mamothane said
Choto’s trial had been set for 11 October. He said he was remanded in custody
after he abandoned his initial bail application.
“He appeared in court following his arrest by the police,
actioned on a tip-off by members of the community on a planned house break-in
at a farm in the Swartregguns area. The case was postponed to 11 October 2021
for further investigations and the accused abandoned bail. The accused was
intercepted by the police near Rietvellie graveyard in Phokeng outside
Rustenburg and two of his accomplices managed to flee.”
He said the police were still pursuing Choto’s two
accomplices. Mr Mamothane said a 9mm pistol, live ammunition magazine and an
explosive gel were found inside the Toyota Prado the suspects were travelling
in.
The smuggling of explosives between South Africa and
Zimbabwe is common along the Limpopo River.
It is believed that most of the explosives are used for
illegal mining activities in the Gauteng and Free State provinces, and in other
cases they are used for Automated Teller Machines (ATM) bombings. Over 70
people have been arrested in the last three years while smuggling explosives at
Zimbabwe and South Africa’s border.
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