THE South African Police Service (SAPS) at Beitbridge reportedly intercepted a stolen super car BMW latest model bound for Zimbabwe with a foreign national in possession of a South African passport driving the vehicle.
The car, valued at approximately R2 million, was intercepted on New Year’s Eve, a few hours before the break into 2025 at Beitbridge Border Post.
In a statement yesterday, the SAPS said members on duty at the Beitbridge port of entry saw the driver of a black BMW G70 7 Series 2023 model trying to pass from South Africa to Zimbabwe at around 8pm on December 31.
“The driver, who is a foreign national, had a South African passport. Preliminary investigations reveal that the vehicle is wanted by one of the banks in South Africa. The driver alleged that the real owner will be flying to South Africa on January 1, 2025,” the statement, signed by Colonel Stephen Thakeng of the SAPS press and liaison office, read.
“A 40-year-old foreign national was arrested for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle and providing the SAPS with fraudulent documents.
“The vehicle was seized. He will appear on January 3, 2025 at Musina Magistrate Court.”
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Meanwhile, authorities from both Zimbabwe and South Africa have, in the last three days, been combing the Limpopo River in separate operations against smuggling amid reports that officials from either country have been allowing smugglers who pay bribes.
The operations, which are not co-ordinated between the two countries, target shoppers who sidestep the border with goods brought from the neighbouring country across the flooded Limpopo River using inflatable boats.
“South African authorities were destroying the boats and setting them on fire, while Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officials supported by a team deployed from the Finance and Economic Development ministry in Harare chased villagers away from the river,” a villager from Makakavhule, west of the border town, told NewsDay yesterday.
“The villagers use their donkey-drawn carts to ferry goods for the smugglers who avoid the border post because of its delays and prohibitive duty.
“The officials driving unmarked Ford Ranger cars teamed up with Zimra officials and police to patrol the river chasing villagers. They were armed. They were relentless in their operations, but known to be taking money if the right amount is offered.”
The government deployed teams from various law, security and customs agencies early last month after Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotions minister Mthuli Ncube’s 2025 budget statement denounced smugglers and described them as tax evaders.
It is, however, alleged that the deployed officials were soliciting for bribes of up to US$500 for a bus to pass, while deploying proxies to collect the money on their behalf.
“They were once demanding R10 000 per bus and this was paid to their proxies, commonly called zvihomwe,” a driver’s assistant also told Southern Eye in an interview.
“That is shown by some buses that were intercepted further inland after paying their way out of Beitbridge.”
Officer commanding Beitbridge police Chief Superintendent Mesuli Ncube referred all inquiries to Harare when contacted for comment.