Major blow for Calvin Mathibeli’s security firm as court dismisses urgent bid for seized items

Calvin Mathibeli and his wife, Simangele, who is also the CEO of Calvin and Family Security Services, have been dismissed by the Pietermaritzburg High Court in trying to force the SAPS to return items seized during a search at their company. The Pietermaritzburg High Court dismissed an urgent application byCalvin Mojalefa Mathibeli’scompany, Calvin and Family Security Services, which sought the immediate return of items seized by theSouth African Police Service (SAPS)during an operation in early March. In an affidavit, CEO Simangele Mathibeli, Mathibeli’s wife, claimed that on March 10, 2026,policeseized numerous items from their Durban North premises, including a firearms register, computers, laptops, hard drives, external storage devices, cellphones, tablets, and all documents.

The company also sought, in Part B of the application, to have the search and seizure warrant, obtained at the Durban Magistrate’s Court, set aside and the search declared unlawful. Simangele asserted the company’s adherence to all regulations for a security company that employs approximately 4,250 security officers and serves industrial, residential, and commercial clients. She argued that the seizure of the firearms register was significantly disrupting daily operations, preventing the deployment of armed officers in compliance with the Firearms Control Act (FCA).

Furthermore, not having the register exposed the company to the risk of having its firearm licences suspended or cancelled for being unable to account for its firearms as required. She noted that the police began investigating alleged tender fraud involving the company in February 2025. However, she disputed the fraud allegations and denied that the company possessed or used the SAPS certifying stamp to certify its own documents, or that fraudulent documents or illegal firearms were kept at their Durban North head office.

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Heavily armed members of SAPS’s Operation Buyisa during their search at Calvin Mathibeli’s security company in Durban North in March. She also defended her husband, stating he had no undue influence over politicians, police, or the justice system. “The allegation concerning Mr Mathibeli is false and without foundation.”

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