A 33-year-old man from Zimbabwe was sentenced to 16 years behind bars by a South African court for smuggling explosives across the Beitbridge border.
Prosper Takunda Henry Mumbure was arrested last November as he drove a truck from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg. South African officials searched the vehicle and discovered a stash of explosives totaling R132,000 worth hidden on board.
The explosives seized included 17 detonating fuses, over 1,200 connection caps and around 2,600 cartridges. Mumbure and his passenger were initially granted bail but he later skipped a court date, forcing authorities to track him down and rearrest him.
The Musina Magistrate’s Court sentenced Mumbure to 15 years imprisonment for violating South Africa’s explosives laws and an additional year for failing to appear in court. The charges against his passenger were later dropped after authorities determined she was simply given a lift.
A senior police official commented that it’s time cross-border criminals realise “their time is over” and authorities will do everything to protect South Africa from such criminals.
