A 52-year-old parolee has appeared before the Witbank Magistrate Court on a charge of dealing in drugs.
Themba Mbatha was arrested by members of the Witbank Flying Squad on the N4 Highway on Wednesday after being found in possession of mandrax, worth an estimated R9 million.
Police officers had stopped a suspicious looking vehicle, in which they found 10 bags of drugs stashed in the boot. During the process of investigation, it was established that the suspect -- Mbatha -- was a parolee, who was previously arrested in 1997 for various cases including, robbery aggravating (cash-in-transit), murder, two counts of attempted murder, as well as possession of a firearm without a licence and ammunition, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pretoria High Court.
Mbatha was released on parole in 2018 and was due to finish his minimum sentence on 28 February 2021.
On Wednesday, Mbatha was transporting drugs to Gauteng from Mozambique.
When he appeared before the court on Thursday, he was remanded in custody and will appear again at the Witbank Magistrate Court on 12 March 2020.
The Hawks’ investigation continues.
Mpumalanga Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has condemned Mbatha’s criminal activities.
“It is really disappointing for someone who is given a second chance to mend his ways and change his life to revert to a life of crime…
“Even though cross-border crime remains a challenge in the province, the arrest of the suspect is an indication that we are on the right track,” Zuma said. - SAnews.gov.za
