LIMPOPO – Two regional courts in Limpopo have handed down direct imprisonment terms totalling 18 years and seven years, respectively, to two men convicted of motor vehicle-related crimes.

The sentences, handed down on Tuesday (May 12), reflect the judiciary’s firm stance against the smuggling of stolen vehicles through South Africa’s northern border.

Case 1: Polokwane – 18 years

In the Polokwane Regional Court, 30-year-old Prince Tshanduko Kgopana was sentenced to 18 years of direct imprisonment for the theft of a motor vehicle.

Kgopana was arrested on February 12, 2024, along the N1 highway near the Peter Mokaba Stadium while driving a stolen vehicle worth approximately R900 000. It had been reported stolen in Pretoria and, according to police intelligence, was destined to be smuggled out through the Beitbridge Port of Entry.

The investigation was led by Sergeant David Makwela of the Polokwane Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit.

Case 2: Mokopane – 7 years

In a separate matter before the Mokopane Regional Court, 34-year-old Bhekamaswazwi Hlatshwayo received an effective seven years of direct imprisonment.

He was convicted on two counts: possession of a stolen motor vehicle (five years) and reckless and negligent driving (two years). The court ordered that these sentences run consecutively, not concurrently.

Hlatshwayo was arrested on November 12, 2025, while driving in a vehicle valued at approximately R600 000, which had also been reported stolen in Gauteng and was being transported toward the Beitbridge Port of Entry.

Sergeant Letlotlo Ledwaba of the Provincial Investigating Unit handled the case.

Provincial commissioner’s response

Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has welcomed both sentences. She specifically commended both investigating officers, all members involved in the arrests, and subsequent prosecutions for their diligence in disrupting vehicle-smuggling corridors.