Municipal workers uncover R7m cache of historic ammunition

Municipal workers in De Aar, Northern Cape, have uncovered about 15 000 rounds of historic ammunition believed to date back to the Anglo-Boer War, with police estimating the cache’s value at R7 million.

The ammunition was discovered in crates near Malay Camp in Sunrise, De Aar, on Tuesday while municipal employees were working in the area.

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The workers alerted police, who responded and conducted a preliminary assessment of the discovery.

Police spokesperson Colonel Cherelle Ehlers said the ammunition was identified as .303 rounds believed to date back to the Anglo-Boer War.

A multidisciplinary team comprising members of the Local Criminal Record Centre, Explosives Unit, K9 Unit and Sunrise detectives was deployed to the scene.

An enquiry was registered to allow further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery.

On Friday, the team returned to the site with the assistance of military personnel to safely retrieve the ammunition.

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Approximately 15 000 rounds were recovered during the operation.

The surrounding area has since been declared safe, while investigations into the discovery continue.

Police have urged members of the public not to handle or tamper with suspected ammunition or explosive materials, but to report any such discoveries to the police immediately.