Train tracks worth millions stolen
Millions of rand's worth of railway track were recovered by the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation team and Transnet investigators. The team arrested 16 suspects aged between 35 and 45 outside Dullstroom on Monday August 30.
Maxwell Muchenje (39), Maxwell Dube (32) and Witness Mbabo (27), all Zimbabwean nationals, were remanded in custody by the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court for the possession of suspected stolen properties, theft and damages to essential infrastructure.
The other suspects were arrested for illegal immigration. They brought their permits for verification and were released.
According to the provincial Hawks spokesperson, Capt Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, they received information that the suspects stole railway tracks at Santa and Dullstroom over the weekend.
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“The team followed up the information and found four trucks inside Mashcor Scrap Metals, loaded with railway tracks,” said Sekgotodi.
While the investigators were on the scene, a fifth truck loaded with transformers and palisades, which were positively identified by Transnet officials, arrived.
The railway tracks were stolen from a decommissioned line, while the transformers and palisades were stolen from a working substation.
“Suspects aged between 35 and 45 were arrested by members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Middelburg, together with Transnet investigators, during an intelligence-driven operation on Monday at Vaalbank in Middelburg,” said Sekgotodi.
“The owner of the scrap metal dealership was traced and arrested,” she said.
According to Transnet’s spokesperson, Mike Asefovitz, the company has been targeted by theft over the past few years.
“Technical teams continue to work around the clock to ensure the impact remains minimal. Transnet has lost revenue of R400m for the financial year to date due to the replacement of infrastructure. In 2019, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimated that the cost of cable theft to SA’s economy was between R5b and R7b a year,” said Asefovitz.
The latest arrest comes after President Cyril Ramaposha brought up rail infrastructure theft during the State of the Nation Address in February.
During his address, Ramaposha said task teams had been set up to deal with crimes like cable theft, railway infrastructure vandalism, and transformer snatching, which hampered economic activity and discouraging investment.
Sekgotodi said the latest arrests come after several thefts of railway infrastructure in the Dullstroom area.
It included the theft of tracks worth R1.6m near the old Sterkloop Train Station in 2017.
The case against the three suspects was postponed to September 7 for formal bail application, and the investigation continues.
