HEARSE DRIVER SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR SMUGGLING EXPLOSIVES: LIMPOPO
LIMPOPO – Wisper Ndaweni (38) was found guilty for smuggling explosives and sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment by the Musina Regional Court on 11 December 2020.
On 26 July 2020, Beitbridge Border Post police were busy with their routine stop and search duties when they stopped a hearse that was coming from Zimbabwe and searched it.
Instead of finding a coffin in the hearse, police discovered explosives with the estimated value of over R420 000-00 and subsequently arrested Ndaweni who was the driver of the vehicle.
Ndaweni made numerous court appearances and his bail application was unsuccessful until he was convicted and sentenced.
This is a second jail sentence imposed on explosives smugglers in the month of December alone.
In another similar but separate incident, Patsona Banda (25) and Life Mbazi (33) were also sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment by the Musina Magistrates’ Court for smuggling explosives.
The Acting Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Brigadier Thabo Ramela commended both the investigation and prosecutorial teams for a sterling job. “ We are determined to fight all serious organised crimes including trans-border crimes with everything at our disposal. We believe that these sentences will serve as a deterrent to the criminal networks”. Brigadier Ramela added.
