Cross border crime | Locals bear the brunt of vehicle theft

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko
Angie Motshekga
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Thembi Simelane
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MADIMBO – Farmers and communities near South Africa’s border with Zimbabwe, live in fear of criminal syndicates that smuggles stolen and hijacked vehicles into our northern neighbour. 
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Police say they’re making progress with their anti-smuggling operations, in their effort to break up these syndicates.
But border communities are yet to see the downward trend in theft and hijacking.
Just this week, a local farmer says his bakkie was hijacked at gunpoint, and smuggled across the Limpopo river.
Limpopo police have revealed that between January and the beginning of August, their Anti-Smuggling operations intercepted 96 stolen vehicles headed for Zimbabwe.
From August to date, police say 33 more vehicles were intercepted.
But local farmer, Pfarelo Nekhumbe whose bakkie was stolen by four armed men on Wednesday, at a farm outside Madimbo wasn’t so lucky.
Nekhumbe said, “Eish, I was so scared. That guy pointed a gun at me and I thought ‘that’s it, he’s going to kill me. But after a short time he said ‘we want only the bakkie, not you. We’re not going to kill you, we just want the car.”
Another farmer who says he employs 78 permanent workers is worried he could be forced out of business.
He adds it’s virtually impossible to farm without a bakkie.
Joel Thivhafuni said, “Once it’s stolen, in order to continue with farming, I am forced to loan money from the bank to buy another bakkie.”
A local resident says criminals who steal vehicles from other parts of the country, use Madimbo village as a smuggling route towards the Limpopo river.
On the dry Limpopo river bed, the absence of soldiers, police and Boarder Management
Authority officials on the South African side means Zimbabweans have little to fear.
Police say they’re fighting this crime.