WESTERN CAPE – A Director of VIP 24 Protection, Mathyus Louis Coetzee was on Thursday, 01 December 2022 sentenced by the Bellville Regional Court on a charge of contravening the firearm Controls Act after entering into a plea agreement with the State.

This comes after members of the Hawks based in Bellville reacted on information received about a man who is a well-known associate of the underworld in the Western Cape, illegally obtained a firearm from him. This then resulted in the matter being referred to the Hawks for further probing and a warrant of arrest was issued against Coetzee.

During a search and seizure at his place of residence 2 cell phones, documentation, 4 firearm magazine, ammunition as well as .38 revolver were confiscated.

This culminated in Coetzee, handing himself over to the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in their Bellville offices on 07 December 2012.  After his arrest more firearms were confiscated including 5 semi-automatic pistol with different serial numbers.

The accused was sentenced on three counts as follows:

Count 1: Sentenced to 2 year imprisonment which is wholly suspended for 5 years for failure to notify the registrar in writing of any change in his physical address within 30 days of such change occurring.

Count 2: Sentenced to 2 year imprisonment which is wholly suspended for 5 years, on condition that the accused is not convicted of a contravention of the Firearm Control Act.

Count 3: Sentenced to 5 year imprisonment which is wholly suspended for 5 years, on condition that the accused is not convicted of a contravention of Section 146 of the Firearm Control Act , Act 60 of 2000, where after being notified that his company VIP 24 Protection’s registration as a security provider had been withdrawn, however he ceased to carry on with business.

Furthermore, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm, additionally, all the firearms confiscated will be forfeited to the State.

Source: South African Police Service