Pretoria – Police in Limpopo have commended the sentencing of a Zimbabwean woman, who was found guilty of illegally smuggling explosives through the Beitbridge border post in October.
Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo, Lt Gen Fanie Masemola, praised the Musina Regional Court for handing down an eight-year prison sentence to Elita Sibanda, a 23-year-old Zimbabwean woman.
Sibanda was arrested while travelling in a bus from Zimbabwe to South Africa at Beitbrigde following a routine police search. While searching the suspect’s luggage, members discovered 26 plastic cartridges and 100 detonators.
She was charged for unauthorised importation, supply or possession of an explosive or incendiary device or part thereof, and pleaded guilty on all these charges in the Musina Regional Court.
During her court appearance, she indicated that she bought the explosives from a shop in Harare and that she was transporting it to South Africa with the intention to sell the devices to illegal miners.
Following Sibanda’s sentencing, Masemola said he was happy with the “exemplary lengthy sentence”, which he said should be a deterrent to those who are planning to commit the same crime.
“As the police, we always feel good when a conviction is attained. Sibanda’s imprisonment is testimony that our police at the border posts are alert and our investigators are well equipped.
“We therefore warn anybody planning to go the same route that we are ready for them and with the courts complementing our job, more harsher sentences will await perpetrators,” said Masemola.
Masemola said operations at the Beitbridge border post have been beefed up. – SAnews.gov.za
