A 58-year-old man has been arrested for paying R10,000 to have his family bombed - using R1m worth of equipment.

North West police said that Tau Lekoa appeared in the Orkney magistrate’s court on Wednesday after being arrested on Sunday.

"Lekoa was arrested after information was received alleging that he is in possession of a large quantity of explosives and that he had allegedly created a bomb, which he had given to an individual whom he had paid R10,000 to allegedly bomb his family," said SAPS spokesperson Capt Tlangelani Rikhotso.

Rikhotso said Hawks officers were directed to an empty shack, where Lekoa had allegedly hidden "powergel explosives, shock-tube starters, shock-tube assemblies and nitro cords estimated to be worth approximately R1m".

Lekoa was arrested and charged with illegal possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit murder.

He is expected to appear again in the Orkney magistrate’s court on August 8 for a bail application.