Dagga tunnel busted P.2
R1-20/FREE
2016
1 April
Road warriors bust
cigarette syndicate These hard-working traffic officers received gratitude from their superiors. Photo: Lizzy Bapela
Lizzy Bapela The MEC for the Department of Safety, Security and Liaison in Limpopo, Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana, and Manager for Road Traffic in the Waterberg District, Simon Kekana, extended words of gratitude to the four traffic officers who made a breakthrough in busting a cigarette-smuggling syndicate. This follows an incident on Friday, 25 March. The officers involved include Ati Brains Phashi, Kedibone Matsaung, Sello Maleka, Harry Monawa and Solly Ndlovu. The officers were on duty when Phashi and Matsaung saw a suspicious-looking vehicle passing on the road where they were working, travelling south towards the N1. Phashi told The BEAT that the vehicle, a white Renault Sandero sedan, failed to stop when ordered.
They chased after it, calling on their colleagues for back-up. As they were chasing the vehicle, a black Nissan Navara bakkies drove up behind the officers and apparently pretended to be assisting them while instead attempting to distract them. The sedan was nabbed at the SettlersCodrington off-ramp, while the bakkie was found abandoned in the veld. Kekana told The BEAT that the driver and passengers abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Only one suspect from the bakkie was arrested, and later identified as Patson Chabikwa. He was found in possession of three cellphones and two illegal passports. The police checked the phones and found calls and messages linking Chabikwa to the incident. He was detained and appeared before the Bela-
Bela Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 29 March. The vehicle used to transport the cigarettes, was rented. According to the investigators, the bakkie was escorting the sedan and had five passengers in it, while the sedan’s occupants included only the driver and one passenger. The sedan’s seats were removed to make space for the cigarettes, a total of 2540 cartons with an estimated street value of about R100 000. During an interview with The BEAT, the officers said that the scene seemed like they were shooting a movie and they enjoyed every minute of the chase. They said that they only came back to reality after the incident, when their bodies were feeling the aftermath. They also said that they often long for this
kind of excitement, as it reminds them why they joined the department in the first place. Kekana and Mokaba-Phukwana said that the officers did an outstanding job and deserved a great reward. They added that dedication and determination leads to an officer going beyond the call of duty to ensure great results and the incident proved just that. “I always advise my colleagues to say their final goodbyes to their families when leaving their homes for work because they are not sure whether they will return unscathed. Our kind of job is dangerous and poses risks to the lives of the officers involved,” said Kekana. The officers made their statements to the police to open cases and determine charges for the syndicate. Investigations are continuing.