Teenager convicted of manufacturing explosives

A 18-year-old has been convicted of 14 counts including possession of a firearm and making an explosive substance.

Police were called to Sakhile Ntsele's home after reports of him squirting anti-bacterial cleaner in a family member's face. Ntsele then attempted to attack the family member with a sword, which he had made from a thin, metal bar. 

Whilst at the address, and concerned by the home-made sword, officers searched Ntsele’s bedroom with a firearms recovery dog. They found seven improvised explosive devices and five firearms with ammunition. 

Ntsele was arrested on suspicion of threatening a person with an offensive weapon and threats to kill. He was also arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and released on bail for this offence, while officers tested the viability of the firearms recovered.

Searches of Ntsele’s phone revealed an obsession with weapons and firearms. He had spent hours watching videos on how to make shotgun shells at home and build home-made weapons. 

He had also made repeated purchases on a relative's credit card. He had bought steel balls and potassium nitrate using pseudonyms.

Ntsele had also sent videos to a friend of a gun he had made from wooden panels and iron pipes.

He was arrested and charged with 26 further offences including eight counts of possession of explosive substances with intent to endanger life, eight counts of making explosive substances for unlawful purpose, five counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and five counts of possession of a firearm without a certificate.

In 2021, at the age of 14, Ntsele was arrested while in possession of 55 rounds of ammunition, some of which he had attempted to adapt by inserting nails within the cartridges. This case was discontinued in March 2023. This charges have been added to the most recent case.

On Monday, 24 November, Ntsele entered a guilty plea for possession of ammunition without a certificate and five counts of possession of a firearm without a certificate.

Following an 11-day trial, the jury found him guilty of eight counts of making explosive substances for unlawful purposes. He was found not guilty on all other counts. 

Ntsele is due to be sentenced in February.