By Siphesihle Dlamini
Two suspects from the Kingdom of Eswatini aged 24 and 27 appeared at the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court in Tonga on April 17, 2024, after being busted by the South African Police Services (SAPS) for possession of a vehicle which was reported stolen.
The suspects, identified as Mancoba Bongi Dlamini (27) and Siyabonga Thusi (24) were charged with possession of a reportedly stolen vehicle, and they had their first court appearance on Monday, 15 April 2024 (at Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court) where they were remanded in custody as the Magistrate postponed the case.
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The two were nabbed on the R570 Road between Jeppes Reef and Malelane on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
Members from Border Policing attached to Operation Vala Umgodi were doing their routine patrol duties when they stopped and searched a Toyota Hilux GD-6 bakkie which looked suspicious to them.
It was during this time that the astute members discovered that the vehicle was the one they had been looking for since it was reported stolen in January 2024 at a place called Bolobedu, in Limpopo Province.
At this juncture, the Police cannot rule out the possibility of laying charges against the suspects, pending further investigation.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has raised her concern about the behaviour of certain foreign nationals, who are in the country for no good reason but solely to commit crime.
“South Africa welcomes any legal foreign nationals who come with good intentions however we are disturbed by those who cause havoc, thereby engaging in criminal activities.
This country has laws and that should be respected as much as people respect laws in their own respective countries,” she said.
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In a statement released by SAPS, she said Police cannot tolerate criminality, at any given time and they will surely act decisively against those who are involved in crime.
“There has been a public outcry from our communities about numerous vehicles stolen where some of these cars were taken across the borders.
To show that their concerns did not fall on deaf ears, so many recoveries of vehicles by the Police were made, including this one,” said the General.
