Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
South African police have arrested their 34-year-old man, whom they found driving a stolen vehicle worth over R700, 000 which he intended to smuggle into Zimbabwe via an illegal crossing point.
The accused person, Solomon Chiloane, a South African national, appeared before Mokopane Magistrate Court on Tuesday, where the matter was postponed to July 29 pending further investigations.
Chiloane was remanded in custody.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malasela Ledwaba said they had also arrested two people for faking a hijacking and breaking their vehicle.
“Our officers received information about a white Toyota Hilux pick-up truck that was allegedly stolen on Saturday, 12 July 2025 in Gauteng province, City of Pretoria under Lyttleton policing area,” he said.
“On Monday, information was received about the vehicle that was reportedly driven from Gauteng province along the R101 public road headed to Limpopo Province.
“The Anti-Smuggling Task Team and private Security operationalised the information and a joint operation was activated. The car was positively spotted entering Mokopane town and immediately stopped and searched”.
During police enquiries, Chiloane could not provide satisfactory response about the origin of the car and was immediately placed under an arrest on the spot for possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle.
Col Ledwaba said preliminary investigations revealed that the man intended to smuggle the vehicle to Zimbabwe.
He said in a related case, two men who initially posed as victims in separate hijacking cases have been arrested for allegedly faking the crimes and colluding to strip and sell their own vehicles.
“This development follows the discovery of a dismantled luxury vehicle during a recent police operation in Nirvana, Polokwane,” said Col Ledwaba.
“On Wednesday, 9 July, an intelligence-driven operation led by the Limpopo Tracking Team, in partnership with the private sector, uncovered a black Porsche Cayenne that had been reported stolen in May 2025 under the Zebediela policing area.
“The high-end vehicle was already stripped for parts at a workshop located along Nelson Mandela Drive in Nirvana”.
He added that a further search of the premises led to the recovery of a second vehicle, a Toyota Tazz, reported stolen in October 2024 in the Seshego policing area.
“This raised suspicions and triggered a deeper investigation into the origins of the vehicles and the legitimacy of the reported cases,” said Col Ledwaba.
He said two suspects, Paballo Masokameng (37), the alleged mastermind behind the Porsche case, and Emmanuel Boshomane (37), owner of the Toyota Tazz, were subsequently arrested.
Both had initially reported their vehicles stolen under false pretences.
“Masokameng claimed he had been hijacked by three unknown men after offering them a lift. However, investigations revealed that he had staged the hijacking, removed and sold parts of the Porsche, and transported the stripped vehicle to the workshop to be fully dismantled. He was arrested and charged with fraud, perjury, and defeating the ends of justice. He appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, and is expected to appear again on Wednesday, 16 July 2025, for a formal bail application,” said Col Ledwaba.
In the second incident, Boshomane, a TVET College lecturer, was allegedly approached by Masokameng and persuaded to fake a hijacking involving his Toyota Tazz.
The vehicle was reported stolen from Boshomane’s home in Moletjie (Seshego policing area) and then taken to the same workshop.
The workshop owner allegedly decided to buy the car instead, changed its colour, and altered its registration number plates.
Boshomane was arrested and also charged with fraud, perjury, and defeating the ends of justice. He appeared in court on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, was granted R500 bail, and is expected back in court on 27 August 2025.
“The workshop owner, Mustafar Hussain (49), a Tanzanian national, was arrested during the operation. He has been charged with possession of stolen motor vehicles and appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 11 July 2025. He remains in custody and is scheduled to apply for bail on Wednesday, 16 July 2025,” he said. @tupeyo
Bongani Ndlovu